Dying Romance
by YaoiPhox
Summary: Egypt is in a very complicated relationship that leaves him with numerous doubts. None of which are helped by his boyfriend's father, Turkey. The main cause of his relationship problems though is his severe illness. Will he manage to straighten out his love life or just give up on life in general? (Note: Not a tragedy.) Warnings inside. Yaoi. Turgypt. Giripan.
1. Prologue

I'm a little hesitant to put anything Hetalia up since the fanbase kind of scares me... but I don't care anymore. xD Hate comments will be ignored and so on.

Hetalia belongs to Himaruya. Characters do as well.

Warning: Pairings seen now will not be seen later. The following chapters might include content that is ideologically sensitive. There might be some OOC but I'm quite certain it's not as horridly OOC as most other fics I've read... Translations are bound to be inaccurate (save for the Spanish). Smut content is undetermined... Definitely strong hintings for now...

* * *

Customers went through his line with indifference and he too shared their expressions. It was a long work day for Gupta and knowing he had a date planned for after work did not help pass time quickly. He continuously glanced at his clock and the door to the store, waiting for his shift to end. When only minutes remained a drowsy young man entered the store, sitting on the ledge used for bagging. He gave Gupta a wave and the other returned it, switching off his line's light. He finished ringing up the last few customers in his line and then headed for the back of the store, removing his uniform. He changed into his casual wear, clocked out, and then headed back to where the other waited.

"Sorry for the wait, Heracles." Gupta murmured, giving the other a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"It's fine, no wait at all. Still half an hour before the movie starts." His hand came around his waist to rest on Gupta's hip.

"Oh? We're going to a movie?"

The couple left the grocery store, walking on the sidewalk. They chatted a bit about various going-ons in their days apart until they reached their destination. Heracles took Gupta's wallet and went to get the tickets for their movie. When he returned they headed straight for the counter and he used more of Gupta's money for a drink and popcorn.

"Do you want anything, Gup?" He asked and the Egyptian merely smiled, shaking his head.

They headed for their theater and settled in seats in the middle. Away from couples 'hiding' in the back yet far enough from the screen to watch without straining their necks. Heracles settled first and set his drink in the cup holder whilst Gupta checked the time, turning off his phone once he had. They had arrived in the theatre just as the opening credits started. The couple leaned on one another and trained their eyes to the screen.

The movie Gupta had been taken to was one of the few decent 'box offices'. A romantic comedy that took place in Heracles' homeland of Greece. The Egyptian hardly watched anything or involved himself in what was popular. He liked to read many things, mostly from the past. However he enjoyed his dates with the Greek. He was actually beginning to enjoy the film. The he heard what he was waiting for-a snore. He sighed softly and rested his hand in his boyfriend's hair, waiting for the credits to roll.

"Wake up, Heracles." He murmured, lightly tugging his hair. "The movie is over."

"Hmn? Oh… Sorry I fell asleep." He yawned and sit up, pulling the slim, frail hand from his hair. "Alfred had one of his parties yesterday."

"Yes, I heard from your father…" Gupta grabbed Heracles' trash. "So… the night was good for you then?"

"Yeah. Probably the best guy yet."

"I see… How long did he last?" He could not help that his grip tightened on the cup of ice.

"It was average though I'd blame that on the alcohol in his system." They headed towards the exit of the theatre. "Pretty sure he was a virgin too. They're always pretty meh." He tilted his hand.

"A virgin?" Gupta stopped dead but then continued along as though he had not and then scoffed. "I doubt a virgin would want to sleep with you. No matter how drunk."

"_S'agapó*_, Gupta. If it offends you then no more virgins." Heracles murmured, pulling him towards him by the hip.

"I would appreciate it…" He sighed, "_Ana bahibbak.*_" and then kissed his cheek.

"Okay. Now for some food." He winked and left the theatre, leading Gupta down the sidewalk.

They arrived outside a rather fancy restaurant-fancier than any restaurant Gupta had visited. His dull forest green eyes scanned the front, easily recognizing an Italian theme. He grabbed the other young man's arm, thankful that it did not require fanciful attire. They waited to be seated, all the while with Gupta looking around in slight awe. They were finally taken to a seat towards the back by an all too familiar face. Gupta hid his face behind Heracles' shoulder until the menus were set on the table. He then slid into his seat, hiding behind the menu. However he had not been quick enough.

"Heracles, Gupta! _Ciao_!" The bubbly Italian waiter greeted them with his usual grin. "I see you two are still close friends!" To that Gupta merely nodded, refusing to look at him.

"Can I just have a water?" He murmured.

"I hope you plan to eat too." Feliciano chirped. "I'd be happy to make the dish special for you."

"I don't think that will be necessary…" He replied with a hint of a groan.

"What wines do you have available, Feli?" Heracles took attention off his date easily, allowing the Egyptian a chance to actually analyze his menu, tuning out the other two whilst they reminisced about 'happy' high school days.

"Feliciano… do you use a lot of salt in your dishes?" Gupta inquired once the young man had returned with his water and a bottle of wine.

"Which one?" He made to lean over him to look at the menu but stopped, recoiling slightly.

"I think I'll just go with your garlic herb spaghetti…" He sighed at the motion.

"Okay. We'll go light on the salt, just for you." Feliciano smiled and turned to Heracles.

"I'll have the same, please." Feliciano took Heracles' menu and then headed back to the kitchen.

"He didn't take my menu…" Gupta grumbled.

"… Maybe he forgot." Heracles sighed and took the menu from his boyfriend. "Stop thinking so hard on how everyone acts around you. Feliciano was the good brother. He never once made fun of you like his older brother."

"No. He pitied me instead while secretly avoiding any contact with me." He bitterly replied.

"Well none of it matters now, Gup… You need to stop caring about what others think about you." Heracles gently scolded.

"_Sì_." Feliciano returned, setting their plates in front of them. "Nobody's opinion matters but yours. If you let others get to you then you'll end up like _fratello_." He motioned to a waiter off in another section-thankfully farther away. "Heracles, why have you taken Gupta out today anyways?" He asked curiously.

"It's our eighth year anniversary." He replied. "June 21st." He smiled.

"Oh… _B_-_Buon appetito_…" Feliciano's usual smile faltered and he excused himself back to the kitchen.

"… Did you have to tell him?" Gupta sighed, starting to pick at his plate, twirling pasta on his fork.

"He asked. It would have been rude not to answer… Now quit acting like this." He ran his foot up Gupta's leg, offering a light smile.

"Sorry." He returned the smile and the feel under the table, a light blush crossing his cheeks. "So how much do you think this will cost me?"

"Us." Heracles corrected. "I'm going to pay for a third." He said this proudly, shoving some pasta in his mouth.

"I see." He smiled and ate his second fork full.

They ate and talked through a few more bites. After half his food was gone, Gupta stopped eating, pulling his shoulder bag onto his lap. Heracles blinked, pausing from taking the final bite of his own pasta in order to observe him. Out came a pill organizer from which three pills were removed. He tossed them down his throat and downed his water, wincing a bit.

"You don't usually take your pills at this time… or in public." His date noted.

"I have to take them on a full stomach… New prescription."

"Would you like a box for your leftovers?" Feliciano returned, eying the numerous pills being shoved back into Gupta's bag.

"Yes please, Feli. _Efharistó_.*" Heracles smiled charmingly.

"Okay. I will be back then." He returned the smile and skipped back to get what was needed.

Heracles began to root through his pockets, putting some crumpled bills on the table. Gupta wondered how he obtained the money but shrugged the thought off, pulling out his wallet and his own money. What was left, at least. Feliciano returned with the bill and box. Heracles' crumpled bills were really only good for covering the tip so Gupta paid the majority while Heracles packed the remaining pasta into the box. Once he had finished off his wine they got up and headed out the door.

"Sadık is going to be here soon." Heracles informed Gupta, sitting on the bench outside the restaurant.

"What? Why?"

"'Cause he doesn't trust me?" Heracles shrugged a bit, trying not to snarl.

"Heracles… I'm sure that's not why." He sat and leaned on him. "Be grateful you still have a parent…"

"I would gladly hand him over to you." He muttered.

"Behave tonight… please." Gupta merely sighed, petting his boyfriend as he spotted a familiar vehicle in the parking lot and an even more familiar man leaving said vehicle.

"Fine. _S'agapó_." Gupta smiled and placed a chaste kiss to his lips.

"_Selam_, Gupta! _Ne zamandir_." The older man leaving the vehicle approached them, a hand in the air and a white mask hiding his face.

"_Ahlan beek_.*" Gupta returned the greeting with a smile, ignoring his boyfriend's bristling behavior towards the Turkish man. "How was work?" He followed him back to his van.

"Exhausting and long. That idiot Alfred threw a party last night. My poor Kiku called in sick. Can't stomach the alcohol those brutes no doubt shoved down his throat." He sighed, opening the front door for Gupta.

"Kiku isn't yours and he handles his alcohol better than most. Old man." Heracles snapped defensively, getting in the back seat. "_Sygnómi_.*" He added, looking away after Gupta sent him a chastising glare.

"Brat." Sadık murmured under his breath, getting behind the wheel and then smiled at Gupta. "How've ya been, Guppy?"

"Decent. Haven't had any recent problems." He replied, a small smile on his face as well.

"That's good. You should come live with us. This lazy Greek can't pay the bills or clean." The Turk laughed, backing out.

"Ass-"

"He can't help how he is." Gupta cut the younger man off. "And I'm afraid that I would just be a burden if I moved in with you…"

"Why do ya think that?" Sadık scoffed.

"I get sick easily." He replied quietly. "Or have you forgotten?"

In his preteen years, after his mother's death, Sadık had taken care of him. Heracles and he had already been fairly close and Sadık and Gupta's mother had been acquaintances from college. Gupta's years with his friend and Sadık had been enjoyable until he had been hospitalized. He had spent a long time in the hospital, making the two of them worry and fret. Once he was released he was quick to get a job and finish high school while living on his own.

"I could make sure ya ate healthier." He offered. "I'm a great cook."

'_If only it were that easy._' Thought the younger males.

"That pasta smells pretty good though. I'm jealous." Sadık started to drive home.

"It was delicious." Gupta nodded and leaned back in his seat.

The rest of the ride consisted of small talk between the two in front with an occasional cruel remark from Heracles. They arrived at the house as night was falling, all of the outdoor lights automatically switching on as darkness increased. Sadık parked in the garage, pulling the key out after opening his door. Heracles was the first out of the car, heading straight into the house. Gupta blinked in confusion to his sudden disappearance while Sadık opened his door for him, taking his box of leftovers for him. They headed inside, separating as the Turkish man put the leftovers in the fridge and the Egyptian to his boyfriend's bedroom.

He sighed a bit at the mess of the room; clothing was scattered about the floor, most of which was pants and underwear. He began to tidy the room, throwing each article of clothing he encountered into the hamper, checking the pockets as he did so. He came to a pair of unfamiliar jeans and felt something in the pocket. Out came a flavored tube of lubricant. He felt his heart clench for a brief moment and dropped the jeans in the hamper, clutching the tube close to his chest. He meandered over to the bed, sat down, and opened the tube, giving it an experimental whiff. It smelled better than he had expected.

Just as he was about to taste it, Sadık walked in, coming to collect the laundry. He froze, watching the Egyptian lift the tube to his lips. He recovered from the shock quickly and rushed over snatched the tube from his hands. They both shared a red face of embarrassment.

"Gross. Don't lick that. You don't know where it's been." The Turk managed to say.

"I know where it has been." Gupta blushed deeper yet kept a fairly calm façade. "May I please have it back?"

"No way! Yer not gonna be screwing around under my roof-even if it is your eighth anniversary." He snapped.

"We weren't go-"

"Get out of my room!" Heracles growled, in his doorway.

"You can't boss me around, brat. This is my house." Sadık spat, tossing the tube into the trash bin and leaving with the laundry hamper.

"You okay, Gup?" Heracles softly asked, closing his door as he made his way to the bed. "He didn't say anything too harsh, did he?"

"No…" Gupta smiled and made room for the Greek. "It was nothing."

"Alright then…"

He leaned on his boyfriend for a moment before starting to take off his shirt. Gupta followed his actions, removing his own shirt. They pulled up the covers and said their good nights, laying close together. A cat made its way in through the flap on Heracles' bedroom door and settled itself on its master's chest, purring all the while. While Heracles slept, Gupta stared at the ceiling until sleep finally overcame him, his dreams plagued with sweet lovemaking, himself looking on, a mere shadow of a man.

* * *

So... I'm finally putting something up. Sorry it's not Naruto. I am on temporarily on Hiatus until my Turgypt needs are satisfied. :I

If you can guess Egypt's "secret" before it's revealed... I'd like to hear your opinion on it. I've had this idea trapped in my head for about ten months now.

**Translations**:  
"_S'agapó_" - Greek for "I love you."  
"_Ana bahibbak_." - Egyptian Arabic for "I love you."  
"_Efharistó_." - Greek for "Thank You."  
"_Ahlan_ _beek_." - Egyptian Arabic for "Hello."  
"_Sygnómi_." - Greek for "Sorry."

All other italicized can be put into a translator and you should get a general translation.  
I recommend translate -dot- reference -dot- com.


	2. I Like Your Bed

Gupta stood at his register, fighting the urge to yawn. It had been days since he had last seen Heracles. Of course, he was accustomed to long periods when he and the Greek were separated. He had to work and take it easy for his health and Heracles… Well, Gupta was uncertain what took up his time. He had a hunch it was his social life. Something that Gupta lacked and never experienced to the fullest. While he mechanically scanned items and sent them to be bagged, his thoughts drifted to the morning after his anniversary.

_"Good mornin', Guppy." Sadık greeted the drowsy young man, cooking breakfast before he had to return to his gas station. "Sleep well?"_

_"Yes." Gupta smiled, settling at the table. "Did you?"_

_"Better than usual." He replied with light shrug._

_"Sorry to hear..." He smiled as the plate of food was placed before him-Sadık's cooking was sorely missed by the Egyptian. "Heracles is still asleep."_

_"So uh... Did you two..?" The Turk trailed off._

_"No." He replied, blowing on his food. "Even if you had not gotten mad last night, we would not have sex. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow." The phone started to ring but before the two in the kitchen could answer it, the ringing stopped._

_"Guess Heracles is up." Sadık sighed, sitting with the other. "Peaceful while it lasted."_

_"Sadık!" The Greek stomped into the kitchen, cordless house phone in hand. "Why didn't you tell me Kiku was having a birthday party this weekend?"_

_"That's days away. Besides, I knew he would invite you personally." Sadık scoffed then added quietly so only Gupta could hear. "Much to my aggravation." The Egyptian allowed a short laugh to pass his lips-the two men fighting over a mutual friend like teenage rivals amused him._

He had met Kiku a few times as he was the main manager of Sadık's gas station. He did not take the serious thirty-something Japanese man as one that partied. Ever. His birthday party, according to Sadık, would be tomorrow. This would be another party that his boyfriend would attend and no doubt sleep with a stranger he would be introduced to. Usually Heracles would spend time with him before finding another lay, or at least call.

He sighed and glanced at the door, shocked to find a familiar brown curl peeking up behind a window. Gupta's eyes widened and he glanced at the clock. He had worked an hour overtime so no one would be mad if he took off now. It was rather slow too. He switched his light off and took off to the back to clock out. Once he was done he left the store, tackling Heracles. Apparently he had fallen asleep waiting and the unsuspecting attack sent him to the pavement.

"Sorry, Heracles." He apologized somewhat sheepishly. "What are you doing here? You usually call."

"Well... I was thinking..." Heracles got back on his feet, brushing himself off. "Would you like to come with me to Kiku's party?" The Egyptian was floored at that, staring a his boyfriend as though he had sprouted wings.

"You... want to take me... to a party? Your best friend's party?" He repeated, unsure.

"Of course. We've been dating for eight years." He nodded. "Do you want to?"

"Y-Yes." He nodded eagerly. "I get off at noon tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll have Sadık pick you up then. I'll wait for you there."

"Oh. You won't be there with me?" Gupta bit his lip.

"Promised I'd keep Kiku calm since he party is Alfred's idea." He laughed a bit. "But don't worry. You trust Sadık more than I do. He said he'd take you after he closes up the gas station tor the day." He kissed Gupta's cheek. "And then, when you're at the party we'll hang out and meet everyone."

"Okay... who is going to be there?" He smiled, eager for the chance to be included in the rest of his boyfriend's life.

"Just some of Kiku' friends and family. His friends being some of Sadık's employees and Sadık as well."

"And none of them know about..?" The Greek nodded in response to the unfinished question.

"None that I am aware of." He smiled and rubbed the back of his head and Gupta could tell there was something was off with his face.

"… Did you get into another fight with Sadık?" He held the other's face in his hands, thumb brushing against a healing cut.

"Maybe." He murmured, looking away.

Gupta smiled and kissed his cut. He was grateful to have such an attractive male as a partner. Not even a beating from the Turk could make him any less attractive for Gupta. He slid his hand down his arm to grab his hand and then pulled him along, down the sidewalk. Heracles grinned and followed him home to the apartment. A sleek black dog greeted them from the couch, glaring a bit at the Greek but too eager to see her master. Gupta pat her head, leading into the kitchen to her kennel. The Greek passed him by to grab a cup, goosing him in passing.

"Did you get a better coffee brand yet?" Before he finished asking, Gupta had already produced a pouch on the counter before him.

"I don't drink it anymore so I decided to stock up on your brand instead." He smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to change."

He left for the bedroom and started to strip, going to his closet. He pulled out a large red shirt whose origin he could not remember. It had to have been from Heracles' house though since that was the only home he had been in besides his own. It was a little too big for Heracles though. He carefully took his earring out and set it in his bathroom cabinet, taking some pills out. He swallowed after brushing and rinsing and swallowed a cup of water. He returned to find Heracles still in the kitchen so he sat himself on the couch, turning on the television.

Heracles joined him soon, sipping his coffee peacefully. The Egyptian glanced at him, longing to be held. Once an arm was draped over his shoulder he snuggled closer, occasionally squeezing the other's thigh as a reward for his cuddling. Soon though the somewhat teasing caresses became too much and the Greek pulled him close, kissing his neck. Gupta gasped and wrapped his arms around his neck as he felt hands running along his sides. It had been months since he and Heracles had shared a moment as intimate as this. When he felt the other start to nip and suck his neck his heart clenched in worry, fear, and a little excitement.

"W-Wait… Not so hard! You'll break the skin." He panted, pulling the other man's head from his neck.

"It's going to be fine, Gupta." He stopped nonetheless, embracing his boyfriend. "I'll take you to bed."

"Wha-Wait!" Gupta squeaked as he was carried bridal style by him. "Heracles, what are we going to do?" His heart pounded painfully in his chest.

"Oh you know…" He murmured a bit huskily, "A little of this, a little of that…" He tossed the other onto the bed.

"S-So you finally have a condom?" Gupta asked hopefully.

"We're not going that far." He frowned, hovering over him.

"Oh… Right." Gupta blushed faintly, starting to come down from his high. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Just the usual…" He replied, unzipping hi pants. "Remember, no lips."

"I know…" He pouted and got between his legs, hands at the ready…

~!~

Sadık arrived a few minutes early at the grocery store, entering it in order to pick up a few things before the party. He spotted Gupta in his line, grinning as he returned the younger man's wave. His light was off but there were still people in his line. Sadık moved on, grabbing a basket for the small amount of shopping he needed to do. The Greek's cats were running out of cat food again and he was always the one ending up having to care for them in Heracles' place. The _brat_ refused to get a job after all.

Sadık sighed and finished his shopping, heading towards Gupta's checkout line. The Egyptian frowned when he entered the line. The older man only laughed, putting his stuff up on the counter, leaning on it. Soon the frown turned to a smile; a roll of the eyes and he was scanning the cans of cat food and-he hesitated, holding a box of condoms in his hand. He was stunned to say the least and Sadık noticed, laughing again though this time the laugh was a bit more sheepish.

"Protection's important, right?" He would not tell him the real purpose of the box.

"Oh yes. Very." He murmured, regaining his composure as he slid it across the scanner. "I have to go clock out. I'll meet you soon."

"Alright. I'll be outside." He winked and tossed his things in a bag at the self-bagging counters.

Gupta blushed faintly and rolled his eyes once more before hurrying to the back. He was accustomed to the man's flirtatious, joking behavior. The box of condoms had startled him though. He had not known the older man was even still sexually active after the death of his wife. Knowing his boyfriend's father could have another woman made him feel sad-sad for Heracles at least. He loved his mother and was always blaming Sadık for her death. He clocked out and then reunited with the Turk at his vehicle.

"Ready to go?" Gupta nodded, getting into the front seat.

"Heracles is already there, right?" He bit back the queasiness he had been feeling since he awoke.

"Unfortunately." He nodded and started to drive.

For once, the ride was quiet and without stories from either side. After the silence began to stretch, Gupta switched on the car's radio. He reached into the back of the car, pulling out a book of compact discs. He flipped through the section labeled 'Turkish', and then through 'Greek', heading to the very last page with 'Egyptian' as the section label. He found his favorite, most soothing disc and put it into the car. He gazed out the window as the familiar music came from the radio.

"Your mom had a voice as lovely as her face." Sadık murmured as they started driving down a back road. "Such talent…" He sighed and shook his head.

"… I remember her singing this song to me, cradled in her arms." He sighed softly as well, sitting up a bit as the trees thinned out. "Are we almost there?"

"Yeah. It's hard to miss." He laughed, confusing the younger until…

"Is that Kiku's place!"

They saw the roof of a large 'mansion' through the trees. As they neared a property gate, Sadık slowed down, rolling his window down. Gupta gazed at the grounds and building in awe. It definitely held Asian influence in its construction. He looked away from the Sakura trees following the long driveway in favor of watching Sadık press a button, holding it until a voice sounded.

"What do you want, aru?" The voice was somewhat tired and annoyed but not full-on hostile.

"Hey Yao. It's Sadık."

"Oh. You're pretty late." The gates began to slide open.

"Yeah, had to close up the gas station since nobody'll work for me when Alfred's throwing a party. I couldn't miss Kiku's first birthday party either." He laughed and started to drive again.

"This place looks huge." Gupta began to shrink back in his seat. "The party won't be too big, will it?" This would be his first party and he was certain a large one would overwhelm him-especially with how he was feeling.

"This is Yao's house but Kiku lives with him and some of their 'siblings'." Sadık chuckled. "Yao's pretty successful and marrying into money doesn't hurt."

"That didn't answer my question." He grumbled as their vehicle parked itself behind one of many vehicles in the driveway.

"I just mean that not all these people are necessarily here for Kiku's party so don't worry too much. I thought you were a friendly guy."

"I am but…" He sighed, not having an excuse to voice.

They got out of the car and Sadık led him to the door, knocking on it. A small man opened the door and led them inside to the large dining room near a grand staircase. There were quite a few people there and Gupta instinctively pressed close to Sadık. It was fairly loud in the house as people talked and J-Pop played on a superb speaker system. A blond ran past them, making a whooping noise as he did so.

"Pa~art~ay!"

"That would be-"

"Alfred." Gupta guessed easily, face blank.

"I'll introduce him when he's clothed." Sadık chuckled, hand coming to rest on Gupta's shoulder, weaving through the crowd to come to a messy-haired blond with bushy eyebrows. "_Selam, _Arthur. I'd like you to meet Gupta Hassan. He's a close friend of my boy Heracles."

"How close…?" Arthur sniffed, eying the Egyptian.

"None of your business." The Turk frowned and pulled his entourage away. "His usually more of a gentleman. No doubt he's been drinking in order to deal with his son…"

"Which is?"

"Who else would drive a gentleman to drink and be like him?" He glanced over at the partying teenager, frowning.

"_¡Holá Señor Adnan! ¿Cómo estás?_" A man with curly brown hair popped up, a foolish grin on his face. "¿_Quien es tú amigo?_" The tan Spaniard smiled at Gupta.

"I am fine. This is Gupta, friend of Heracles. I told you about him before." Sadık gave the shoulder his hand rested on a light squeeze.

"Oh, _sí_, I remember. He was Lovino's classmate. Have you met him? He's here if you want to-"

"No thank you… I met Feliciano at the restaurant recently and Lovino… He bullied me a bit too much for my liking." He murmured.

"_Lo siento._" He apologized. "He's not very friendly but… _se amo._" A blissful smile replaced the goofy grin.

"Huh?" Gupta recognized very little Spanish-it had never been on his list of languages to learn; he had his plate full with learning English, Turkish, and Greek.

"Ah, it's nothing." He waved it off and turned around to greet Alfred and a smaller, Japanese man. "_Holá,_ _Alfredo. Feliz cumpleaños, Kiku._" He looked around. "I thought you were with Heracles."

"He fell asleep so Alfred dragged me out to greet everyone." The Japanese man sighed.

"He doesn't usually like parties like this but Alfred can be pretty persuasive." Sadık whispered to Gupta but Alfred overheard.

"Haha! Not as persuasive as Heracles is, apparently." He laughed, clapping Kiku on the back. "Must be hella persuasive to talk this stick in the mud out of his virginity." The Turk's expression became one of utter shock and Gupta tensed beside him, eyes wide.

"Alfred!" Kiku whined a bit, his face a deep red. "We didn't have sex. I'm still a virgin. Please don't spread rumors." He glanced at his good friend, Sadık.

"Dude, we all totally heard you at my party. Especially your brother." Alfred cackled.

"I-I was drunk. I had no say in it. It doesn't count." Excuses spewed from the small man's mouth.

"Sounded like you had plenty to say." Alfred continued his laughing while Sadık and Gupta remained rooted, expressions unchanging.

"Heracles slept with you..?" Gupta's voice was detached and void of emotion.

"_Hai_…" Kiku mumbled, looking at Sadık now. "I am ashamed of myself for allowing it to happen, Adnan-san… He was very attractive."

"Don't worry, Kiku," Alfred began, "Sadık knows all about how Heracles will sleep…" He trailed at the death glare that was sent from the Turk.

"And you are Heracles' friend, correct…?" The Egyptian inquired calmly.

"_Hai…_ We have been close friends for a few years now. Why? Is something wrong?" The last sentence seemed to be directed at Kiku's employer.

"Where is he?"

"The bedroom." Kiku pointed to the stairs. "Last door on the left."

"_Shukrān.*_" Gupta uttered, heading to the stairs with Sadık close behind.

"Guppy." The Egyptian came to an abrupt halt, making the older man bump into him.

"_Fein el-hammān_?*" He clapped a hand to his mouth and looked at the confused Turk.

"Oh! In here, _bebek._"

He ushered the other man into the nearest bathroom. Before he had a chance to leave, Gupta went to the toilet, emptying stomach acid into the bowl. He cursed as his eyes watered from the pain and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He knew he should have stayed in his bed this morning. In the doorway, Sadık looked on, worried for the younger man.

"What's wrong?" He knelt beside him, rubbing his back.

"I'm tired. I'm sick. And I'm starving." He coughed some more acid up, groaning.

"I'll take you home." He got up and dampened a cloth, handing it to him.

"No." He panted, shakily wiping himself clean. "Take me to your place."

"Why?" He took a moment of thought, "Don't worry about Heracles now. I'll punish him for-"

"No. Leave him be. No need to give him yet another reason to hate you. I will talk to Heracles when he comes home."

"You sure you're up for it?"

"I will manage. _Shukrān… _for caring."

"Need me to carry you?" Gupta laughed weakly, shaking his head.

"Just get me some bread and I'll meet you at the van."

He groped at the Turk's pants, pulling himself up before digging through the man's pockets for the keys. Sadık sighed and complied, making sure the other had his balance before trotting back down the stairs to the kitchen. Once he regained his breath and strength, Gupta headed out of the bathroom, gripping the stair railing on his way down. He was almost to the door when he bumped into Antonio whom bumped into the Italian brothers.

"Watch where you're going, _bagascia_!" Snapped the older, dark-haired brother. "Whore." His little brother gasped and Antonio whipped his head around for Sadık.

"Lovi, that's not nice." He chided.

"He didn't mean it, Gupta." Feliciano apologized frantically.

"It's fine." He could not help but twitch his eyebrow at the young Italian's tone.

"Don't tell me you're leaving. You just got here…" Antonio began.

"It's _fratello_'sfault, isn't it? I tried to tell him that you aren't a whore. That it isn't-"

"Feliciano… please move before I vomit on you."

He grumbled, holding the damp cloth over his mouth as he felt the bile rise. He seriously had no concern for anyone else's thoughts or opinions at the moment. All he wanted was to rest and to think about his recent betrayal. That Heracles had slept with Kiku-who had not only been a virgin, but a close family friend. He pushed past the Italians and the Spaniard, going into the van. As he got in his body was shaking and his vision was blurring. He hoped that he would not start to get stress-induced seizures again. They had been so horrible…

But instead he had passed out, sleeping with the keys in hand until Sadık clambered into the van to take them and start the car. When they pulled into the garage, Gupta began to slowly come to. He was in the older man's arms, close enough to hear the panicked heart beat. He snuggled closer to that comfort until he could tell the lights had dimmed. His head was in pain and light would not help. He felt himself being lowered onto something with plenty of cushion. He blinked, glancing up at Sadık, listening to words muttered under breath.

"Damn… He's so light. Needs to eat better. Damn the Greek brat for not taking good care of you." Gupta began to stir a bit more at that; Heracles should never take the blame for his health. "You okay?"

"Yes… I will be fine." He lied, looking around to find himself in an unfamiliar bedroom. "Where is my bread?"

"Yes." He handed him some bread. "But I am going to make you lunch too." Gupta nodded, gratefully accepting the bread.

"I'm sorry that you had to leave early because of me…" He murmured, nibbling at the stale bread. "How long was I out?"

"Whole way here." He replied, reaching out as if to pet him but he returned his hand to his side. "What happened to you?"

"It's nothing. Just a cold or something. Must have been because there were so many people together at the party." He shrugged.

"That was a cold?" Sadık was skeptical, being a father with a rebellious child he learned to tell when one was underestimating or overestimating an illness.

"Where is my bag?" Was his only response.

"You didn't have a bag with you." Sadık frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Call Heracles."

"Why?"

"Please." Gupta stared him down until the older man conceded, reaching onto the bedside table for the phone, handing it over. "I'll be in the kitchen. Shout if you need me."

Gupta nodded in acknowledgment, punching in the memorized number. He put it to his ear once he hit the call button, listening to it ringing until the voicemail sounded. Gupta cursed and hung up, redialing at least four times before finally deciding to leave a message.

"I forgot my pills at home. Please pick them up on your way home. _Ana-_" He stopped himself from forgiving his boyfriend due to reflex. "Hurry home, Heracles."

He hung up and groaned, running a hand through his short hair. He needed his pills or he would really start to suffer. He wondered if he had left any with Heracles in case of an emergency like this. He sat up and looked around, quite surprised to realize that the bed he was in belonged to Sadık and therefore the room did. He had never been in the man's room. He rolled off the bed and stumbled around the room, already wishing to be back in that heavenly plush bed with silken sheets. He paid no mind to all the photo frames cracked on the dresser, leaving the room for the familiar mess of Heracles' room.

He hoped to be able to find something in order to lessen his pain. He did not have the number of his current doctor on him as he was expecting the day to be well for him. Pushing back the negative thinking he went to the bedside table, pulling out the first drawer. He grumbled at the sight of various lubricants and toys, cursing as only a bottle of weak pain pills were found. He moved on to the second drawer, finding Heracles' cell phone. This made him pause his frantic search. He grit his teeth and tossed the phone on the bed, muttering obscenities in Arabic on his way to the bathroom used only by Heracles and guests.

He emptied what little bread he had in his stomach and flushed, dabbing at his mouth. As he stared at his reflection in the mirror, he wondered if perhaps Sadık had found some of his pills laying around in the bedroom and thought to put them away. He reached open to pull open the medicine cabinet, sighing in relief as he caught sight of his pills in an unmarked, clear bottle. He pulled them out and prepared to shut the mirror, stopping cold when he saw something that should never be in any of Heracles' things.

He grabbed the square foil packet, feeling the outlines of something circular within it. He frowned, setting the packet down in favor of popping his pills. He rarely bothered with water but the illness made him thirsty so he instead snatched the condom back up. Heracles had told him he refused to use condoms since he claimed to hate how they felt. He had seen Sadık buy some condoms but it was a different brand and this was _Heracles' _bathroom.

He took slow, deep breaths in order to slow his heart rate. His heart would surely break after the stress and illness of the day. His stomach snarled so he meandered to the kitchen. The smell of food sent a stabbing pain in his stomach and he cringed, holding it. He had forgotten how painful it was taking those pills on an empty stomach. He sat at the table, resting his forehead on the surface.

"Guppy, you alright?" Gupta was grateful he was keeping his voice quiet for once.

"Not really." He moved to rest his cheek on the table now, looking up at Sadık. "It smells good though…" He gave the older man a smile.

"Sağol. Hope you're hungry." He placed a large platter of food before the Egyptian. "I made plenty of food for you. Turkish style is the best style." He winked after finishing his boast.

Gupta smiled and hoped that he would be able to share some food with Sadık. No matter how orgasmic his cooking was, his illness would not allow him to enjoy all of it. He slid the plate closer to him, giving him the fork. Sadık blinked, accepting the fork as he watched the other eat with his fingers. It was fairly amusing to the older. Gupta instructed him to eat with him and so he did so, his own stomach feeling empty since his breakfast. He was almost finished with his portion, studying his lunch companion's sullen expression.

"What's wrong, Guppy?" He reached over to cup the other's cheek, pulling back when the other cringed.

"I just… I found something in Heracles' bathroom…" He confessed, unclenching his fist to reveal the crumpled condom.

"Oh…" Sadık blushed-why would he bring something like that to the table while they were eating? "W-What about it? You guys use them, right?"

"No. We don't." He replied, looking away. He felt awkward discussing such a topic with a man that was very much like his father-in-law.

"I try to encourage him to use safe sex." Sadık sighed, thinking he understood the reason Gupta would be upset. "So I leave condoms lying around in hope he'll use them. That's the only reason I buy those things since…" He trailed.

"I knew you weren't sexually active." Gupta allowed a smile to tug at his lips. "That's why I got so worried… Heracles told me he would rather be abstinent than wear a condom."

"Damn that brat." Sadık growled, "He's going to give you an STD." The Egyptian winced, recoiling as if slapped-Sadık's worry for him rather than his son never registered in his mind.

"W-Why would you say that? Is it because I have an STD?" The words passed his lips before he could stop them.

"You do?" Sadık's jaw dropped.

"Wha-ah… No! No…" He shook his head vigorously, "Of course not." He gave a weak laugh. "I don't sleep around."

"Good." The Turk's tone cut at the younger male's heart. "Looks like Heracles isn't coming home tonight. You'll have his bed to yourself."

"… I kinda wanted your bed…"

"I'm not taking the couch or Heracles' tiny bed." '_Especially knowing who that Greek brings home…' _He silently added, taking a swig of his apple juice.

"We can sleep together." Gupta suggested, making the Turk spit out his drink.

"I love you, Guppy but that's a bit-"

"Not like that, you pervert." He flushed, catching his mistake. He honestly did not expect the other to take his comment in that direction. "The bed is big enough to share, right?"

"Y-Yeah. You're right. Sorry. Wasn't thinking there for a minute." He smacked himself in the head. "Sure. I'll sleep with you."

"Thank you. I enjoy sleeping with others." He moved to get up and take the platter to the sink.

"No, no. You're sick. I got this. You just head on into bed." He grabbed the platter.

"I'm fine." A flash of ignominy came but whittled away under the stern glare the Turk gave him. "Fine."

He was feeling feverish again. He let out a shaky breath, relinquishing his hold on the platter. He tossed the condom in a trash bin on the way to the Sadık's bedroom, no longer worried by it. The only reason Gupta allowed his boyfriend to find his sexual pleasures else where were because he did not like the use of rubbers. He pulled off his pants and lifted the silk covers, sliding under them. He had grown accustomed to sleeping with only his night shirt on.

While he got himself comfortable on the bed, Sadık fed the cats, inwardly smacking himself. He had taken his flirtatious joking a step too far today. He had raised the Egyptian for his mother as she was dying of some disease that no one told him of. It was pretty close after his wife's suicide and his friend's murder too. All of the loss made him grateful to gain another to keep him distracted. While the Egyptian came to live with him, he had grown attached to his polite mannerisms and helpfulness. Unlike Heracles, he had done chores when he had not even been given any.

He was a good kid and he still was. His son was a monster to cheat on someone like Gupta. He really was as attractive as his mother and she was well known throughout the Mediterranean for her beauty. Sadık finished filling the third bowl, hearing a loud purring sound coming from one of the cats. It was unique and so he turned to the cat with the bag on his head, stifling a laugh. The face drawn on the bag never ceased to amuse the man.

"_Selam, Maskeli. _How are you?" He smiled, crouching in order to run his hand down the brown cat's back. "Heracles' cats picking on you?"

The cat purred, brushing against his legs and hand, the bag crinkling with every motion. Sadık chuckled and got back on his feet, turning off all the lights in the house on his way to the bedroom. He looked around at his old family photos and the album, feeling the familiar ache in his chest. The only photo that was enjoyable now was the one he had taken at Gupta and Heracles' graduation. He sighed heavily and went to the bed, wondering how much he should take off.

He was a widower and had convinced himself that he would never love another woman. He was quite certain he was straight yet the sight of his former ward made him feel doubt on his sexual preference. He shook the thoughts out of his mind, taking off his shirt, mask, and pants before getting in the bed, laying on the sheets and under the cover as a precaution. He saw the other man's face displayed a look of slight distress and exhaled at that, petting his head a few times before closing his eyes and succumbing to sleep.

* * *

Any guesses yet? :3 Also... a few things about the pets:  
Maskeli = Turkey's cat. Maskeli means masked in Turkish so that's where the name came from.  
Anput = Egypt's dog. Anpu is Egyptian for Anubis and adding a "T" to the end makes it feminine as Egypt's dog appears to be feminine/female.

**Translations**:  
"_Shukrān._" - Egyptian Arabic for "Thank you."  
"_Fein el-hammān?_" - Egyptian Arabic for "Where's the toilet?"  
All other italicized can be put into a translator and you should get a general translation.  
I recommend translate -dot- reference -dot- com.


	3. Sick Days Suck

When morning came, Gupta awoke feeling warm yet less sick than the previous day. Sadık was awake as well, staring at him before a yawn forced his eyes closed. He rolled onto his back, hand groping on the bedside table for his mask. Gupta frowned and sat up a bit, trying to catch his eyes again. The Turk put the white mask on then frowned at the Egyptian, wondering if he was better.

"_Günaydin_."

"_Sabā in noor._" Gupta yawned and looked at the only window in the room. "What time is it?"

'It is…" He looked over at his clock. "Almost eleven."

"Work?" Gupta inquired.

"They don't need me as much as you need me." He replied, pressing their foreheads together. "Still have a fever."

"I'll be fine. I just need to call Heracles." He blushed and moved back a bit, not expecting the sudden contact. "But the idiot forgot his phone here. Do you have Kiku's number?"

"Yeah." He grabbed his cell phone, flipping it open to start calling for the younger man. "Here ya go." He handed it to him then snuggled back into the bed, still not willing to get up.

"_Moshi moshi_, Sadık." A very groggy Kiku answered.

"_Ahlan_…" Gupta groaned, feeling envious. "Put Heracles on."

"How do you know he's still here and who is this?" Kiku demanded.

"Mm… Who is it, Kiku?" The drowsy tone of his boyfriend in the background made Gupta grind his teeth, shoving the image of him pressing his nude body against the Japanese man to the back of his mind.

"It's his boyfriend." He managed to answer tersely. "Now put him on." He tried to imagine the look on Kiku's face.

"You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend!" He gasped, his tone expressing hurt which Gupta shared knowing the Greek had told no one about their relationship..

"If I told you, would you have slept with me?" Heracles could be heard asking.

"_Herakuresu_!" The older man cried out.

"Wait, Kiku! Come back!" Heracles' panicked words sent an unpleasant chill down the Egyptian's spine.

"Heracles." He hissed into the phone until the other heard him and picked up the phone.

"_Éla_, Gupta…" He sounded upset. "What gives and why weren't you at the party? Don't tell me that Sadık-"

"Don't you dare try blaming anything on Sadık." Curious, the Turk sat back up, intending to eavesdrop. "I was at the party and I was looking for you."

"Why didn't you stay?"

"I threw up so Sadık took me home before I passed out."

"How dare he take advantage of-"

"He would never do any such thing, Heracles." He snapped, his patience for this conversation quickly diminishing.

"Why are you getting so mad? What happened? What did I do?" Heracles began to ask fretfully.

"I've been trying to call you all night because I needed my medicine." Sadık rose a brow at that, unaware that he took medicine regularly.

"Aren't you at your place?"

"No. Sadık took me to your house. So pick up my pills on your way home. Until then, have fun with your geisha." He huffed and slapped the phone shut.

"You okay, Guppy?" Sadık inquired, rubbing his back. "I could go get your meds if-"

"No... but _shuk__rā_n, Sadık. Just go to work. I'll be fine." Gupta gave him a reassuring smile. "Though some breakfast would be appreciated."

"Sure thing. Let me get dressed."

He chuckled, sliding out of bed and going to his dresser. He pulled on his pants while hopping to the door, making the younger man laugh, his stressful phone call becoming a distant memory. Gupta eventually got the strength to get out of the bed, pulling his pants back on. He headed into the bathroom to grab his pills, taking a few with him into the kitchen. There was no telling when Heracles would return.

Sadık was nearly done cooking, taking a break in order to make his coffee. He offered some to Gupta buy the younger shook his head, going to the fridge to look for another drink. His eyes rested on a carton on orange juice which he quickly took, throwing his pills in his mouth before chugging straight from the carton on reflex. Sadık was shocked, to say the least, staring at the younger. Gupta noticed and cursed, pulling the carton from his lips.

"I am sorry." He apologized. "I'm so used to having a carton to myself. I'll finish it off and buy you a new one."

"Nah. It's fine." He chuckled, waving it off. "Let me have a drink though if you're going to finish it off." He took the carton before the other could protest, raising it to his lips.

"Wait! You're going to get sick."

"Nah. A cold's nothing." He took a swig. "Sides... I'm not afraid of your cooties." He chuckled, handing the carton back. "You sure you'll be okay here with Jerkules?"

"Just go to work and I'll call if something happens." The Egyptian sighed, now taking a small sip from the carton, slightly embarrassed by the indirect kiss.

"You better." He ruffled the other's hair. "Breakfast is on the counter. Take care, Guppy." He grabbed his canister of coffee and then left.

Gupta grabbed his breakfast, taking the jug of orange juice with him to the table. Once he had finished the meal he put his dishes in a sink that was starting to overflow. Chores sounded like they would be a good distraction from thinking so he began to wash the dishes, putting ones that had been sitting in the dishwasher away. The layout of the house had not changed too much since he had lived in it so there was no trouble cleaning the rest of the house.

Laundry was just being put into the dryer when the front door opened and Heracles arrived. Gupta moved from the laundry room to the kitchen to finish scrubbing the counters. He appeared to be ignoring the Greek so Heracles approached him, hands in his back pockets.

"You didn't have to clean the house. That's the Turk's job." His comment received a smack from a wet dish towel.

"No. Sadık's job is running the gas station. My job is scanning items at a grocery store.

Your job should be to clean." He chastised the slightly younger man and smacked his arm again with the towel.

"Ouch. Stop doing that." He pouted.

"Then stop sleeping with Kiku." He snapped, putting the towel in the sink. "You nearly killed me with your carelessness."

"Why do I have to stop sleeping with Kiku? You never told me to stop sleeping with other men before him."

"Those other men weren't your closest friend." He blinked then the scowl deepened. "And I should be your closest friend, not Kiku!"

"Gupta, your are… But your never said I couldn't sleep with my friends. You just said I couldn't sleep with people like you…" At the now scathing look from the shorter man he tried to lighten his tone in a joking manner, "And recently, virgins."

"Heracles…" Gupta sighed heavily, leaning back on the counter as vertigo struck. "I'm insecure… When I found out you were sleeping with your best friend… It made me feel like I had no reason to…" He trailed and the Greek pulled him into a tight hug. "I thought I had been replaced."

"It's impossible to replace a person, Gupta." He nuzzled him. "Still feeling sick?"

"A little." He mumbled, playing with a hole in the other's white shirt.

"Well, take it easy then cause I'm going to take you out for Sadık's business dinner this Friday." He pet Gupta, "It's at a nice restaurant and you won't have to pay."

"That sounds nice." He offered a smile and gently pushed Heracles away.

"So where is that damn Turk anyways?"

"He's at work."

The smaller man rolled his eyes and started for the bedrooms. Heracles followed, opening his bedroom door. He looked to Gupta but the other was still walking. Right into Sadık's room. He pouted and followed him, grabbing his arm.

"Why are you going in there?" He puffed his cheeks out in a childish manner.

"Because I love his bed." He pulled his arm free, heading to the plush 'cloud'.

"What? No," whined Heracles, "don't choose the Turk's bed. Silk is overrated." He grabbed the Egyptian's ankle.

"Cut it out." He scolded lightly. "Your bed Is tiny, scratchy, and it smells."

"You don't mean that." He gasped. "'Sides, this bed reeks like that Turk." Gupta ignored him, pulling back the covers. "Turks smell worse then Greeks, right?"

"I think you both smell lovely." He smiled, settling into the bed. "But if you let me rest then I will lie and say you smell better."

"Gup!" Heracles grumbled and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Fine… Hope your dreams of me don't turn into nightmares cause of the Turk!"

"Out." Gupta smiled sleepily, snuggling into the pillow; sleep came moments after the Greek left the room.

~!~

He awoke around lunchtime, feeling normal again as he stretched with a yawn. He made a mental note to ask Sadık where he got his mattress. He had gotten the best rest from his bed than any other he had been in. The smell of food met him after a moment of waking up and he licked his gums, getting out of the bed somewhat reluctantly. He closed the bedroom door behind him on the way back to the kitchen where Heracles made his gyros, a song by Sarbel playing from the kitchen stereo. Gupta smiled and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind but Heracles quickly wiggled free of his hold.

"Sadık called for you." He said, offering him a completed gyro.

"Oh." He nibbled at the food, going to the kitchen phone. "It tastes good." He added as he punched in the numbers of the older man's cell.

"Thank you." He smiled distractedly.

"Sorry I missed your call, Sadık." He leaned on the counter. "I was sleeping." There was a pause and Gupta giggled, covering his mouth. "Yes. Heracles already invited me to that as an apology." He still wore a smile on his face. "Don't get mad at him lest you stress me out."

"What's that Turk saying?" Heracles frowned, grabbing for the phone.

"Okay. See you soon, Sadık." Gupta hung up before the other could take the phone.

"What did that asshole say?" He mumbled rather childishly.

"None of your business." He moved towards the living room. "Except that I will be staying here until that dinner party."

"What? Why?" Heracles scowled and joined him on the couch.

"He was worried about my illness." He murmured quietly, eating his gyro carefully so as not to make a mess.

"Oh." Heracles became quiet at that, almost finished with his own gyro. "What else?"

"He was a bit upset I forgave you so easily." He laughed shortly.

"Well it's none of his damn business."

"He was worried about me."

"So was I."

"Then you should have called me before you spent a wonderful night of passion with Mr. Honda." His tone was harsh but Gupta was not urged to take it back.

The atmosphere grew tense as they continued to eat. Heracles eventually turned the television on in an attempt to get rid of the silence. Maskeli appeared in front of the two men and soon received a hug from the Egyptian. The feline purred and rubbed against his torso, demanding more affection. When Heracles reached over to pet him, his own cat leaped into his lap. He laughed and gave the cat his attention. When they heard a vehicle pull into the driveway Gupta jumped up, sending Maskeli flying. He apologized and hurried to the door, opening it for Sadık and-

"Anput!" Gupta laughed as his dog flew into his arms, knocking him off his feet. "Ouch. Easy girl."

"You okay Guppy?" Sadık hurriedly closed the door behind him, offering him his hand.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." He laughed lightly and allowed the other to yank him to his feet. "How was work?"

"Interesting." He replied, looking over at Heracles. "Kiku's still pretty pissed at you."

"Liar." Heracles scoffed. "Kiku forgave me, just like Gupta did."

The Egyptian sighed, patting the back of Anput's head, leading her to the laundry room with Maskeli close behind him. He closed the door behind himself and the pets just as the yelling escalated. He hummed his mother's tune, continuing about his chore. It was good to be home again.

~!~

On Wednesday night Heracles received a call from Alfred, inviting him out to another party. The Egyptian was helping Sadık make dinner in the kitchen when he walked in, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Gupta blinked, wiping his hands off on a towel before approaching the Greek. Sadık was still cooking but looked over his shoulder, listening.

"Are you leaving already? We were about to finish dinner." Gupta said, hands resting on his hips.

"Yeah. Alfred's just pulling into the subdivision." Heracles pecked the other man's cheek. "Am I allowed to go~?"

"… Fine." He sighed and kissed his chin, then his lips, and finally his cheek. "So long as you come home tomorrow."

"Or don't." Sadık scoffed. "Get your own damn house and we'll send your shit as soon as you give us your address."

"Ignore him." Gupta giggled and pat his cheek lightly before going back to assist Sadık. "_Ana bahibbak_, Heracles."

The Greek waved him off and disappeared out the door. Sadık eyed Gupta carefully, wondering how he truly felt about Heracles leaving. His face appeared calm enough as he set the table for two, so the Turkish man shrugged and finished the meal he was cooking. They ate their meal in a somewhat comfortable silence however a question was eating away at the older man. He stared hard at the Egyptian across from him, watching as he picked at his leftovers.

"How can you let him go?" He finally demanded, smacking his hand on the table. "How can you let him go to a party after you just found out he cheated on you!"

"What do you mean?" Gupta frowned, appetite lost.

"I didn't want ta be the one to tell ya this, Guppy…" Sadık sighed heavily, "But Heracles has been sleeping with people behind your back since you two started dating." He growled. "And that jus' ain't right!"

"It isn't behind my back." He murmured a bit shamefully.

"What?" Sadık stiffened in shock, uncertain if he'd heard right.

"I allow Heracles to sleep with strangers." He said a bit stronger. "So long as they're just one-night-stands." The look Sadık was giving him made him squirm. "It's not that strange…"

"No. It's just extremely stupid of ya." The Turk frowned. "But I know yer not stupid so tell me what that asshole Greek's been telling ya!"

"He hasn't been telling me anything." He huffed a bit, gathering the dishes on the table as a distraction.

"He's brainwashing you into letting him cheat." Sadık cut the Egyptian off from the sink.

"I haven't been brainwashed." He frowned, feeling his composure slip.

"Why else would anyone let their _boyfriend_ sleep around?" Sadık spat out the word.

"The Ottoman sultans slept with numerous wives." Gupta countered.

"That is unrelated." He huffed, arms crossing. "The women were there for baring children. Last I checked, you guys didn't have kids."

"When a child took over, the others were disposed of. The sultan didn't need more than one wife for that. It was for pleasure and don't try to deny it." He shot back.

"That doesn't make it right." He flushed, "He could give you an STD." Gupta cringed.

"H-He makes sure they're clean." Sadık could see the other's discomfort so he gave a sigh, stopping the conversation.

"It's not my place ta judge." He murmured, patting his shoulder. "I'm sure you have reasons but you deserve better than him."

"Thank you for your concern, Sadık. Heracles and I have talked and..." he set the dishes in the sink. "I'm grateful to him for being the only one willing to love me..."

Sadık started at that, staring at the other while he cleaned the dishes. He wondered why Gupta would think only Heracles would love him. He felt his fish clench, cursing the Greek. Sadık feared the worst-that his son was attacking Gupta's self esteem. He bit his lip and stood close to the smaller man.

"I love you, Guppy." His convicting tone caused Gupta to drop the dish he was scrubbing in shock.

"I am touched you love me as a son when Heracles and I are not even married." He quickly recovered.

"... I don't think I meant it in that way." Sadık murmured, slightly shaken himself.

"You're straight and nineteen years my senior." The Egyptian turned off the sink. "Not to mention my boyfriend's father. I believe you do not mean it in he way we are thinking."

"How do you figure me straight?" Sadık chuckles, attempting to lighten the mood. "Same way I figure you gay?"

"Meaning?" Gupta turned and held his breath, pressed atainst the older man.

"Jus' 'cause I had a wife doesn't mean I'm completely straight just like you having a boyfriend doesn't make you completely gay. Have you ever even considered dating a woman before my ungrateful son?" He began to lecture.

"For your information, I have." He puffed defensively. "However a guy like me can't afford to be picky. Heracles asked me so I accepted and I wouldn't have it any other way." He was blushing deeply as he continued. "Now what about you? I have never considered you as anything but straight. You had a kid and you only flirt with women so tell me... Why are you challenging your sexuality now?"

"Maybe cause you're beautiful enough to turn any man gay." He sputtered. "Besides... after Helen's death I haven't been able to love any woman." He confessed. "But..." He was growing to regret his confession. "Yer not a woman..."

"... I think we should go to bed, Sadık." Gupta was at a loss for words, confused by the warmth he felt after hearing the older man's confession.

"Y-Yeah. Good idea." Sadık muttered, vigorously rubbing his red face with his hand.

They stepped away from each other, both feeling rather awkward. Sadık was the first to leave the kitchen, cursing himself for his lack of tact. Gupta was left in the kitchen to dwell on what he heard. Had Sadık been sincere or was it just an attempt to make him feel better? Either way, he had found the whole thing as heartwarming as it was shocking. He did not want to be unloyal to Heracles however, as he pondered, he began to question his feelings for the Turk. Perhaps it would not be too harmful to just experiment. After all, Heracles was experimenting so why could not the Egyptian?

It was that thought process that led him down the hallway to gently knock on Sadık's bedroom door. The Turk jumped, pulling his pants back on in order to answer, unable to meet the dull forest green eyes. The owner of said eyes said nothing, brushing past him until he reached the bed. Sadık tilted his head in question.

"... Your bed is still better than his." He smiled.

"Uh... Yer willing to share a bed? After..." He trailed, closing the door and approaching the bed.

"I trust you not to act on what you said. If you even meant a word of it. I am willing to forget if you are." He ran his hand over the silky blankets.

"Yeah. Sure. O' course." Sadık grinned and slid into the bed. "Tonight never happened."

"Correct." Gupta's heart clenched a bit at how eager the other was to forget but returned the smile, pulling up the covers.

The next morning Heracles came home to find his father and boyfriend sitting at the kitchen table in awkward silence. Gupta was quick to greet the Greek, wrapping his arms around his waist. Heracles returned it and looked at Sadık. The Turkish Nan refused to meet his eyes, looking away with a fairly guilt expression. Suspicion came to Heracles as he joined them at the table. Gupta smiled fondly at him though he appeared rather distracted, inquiring about his night.

"It was fine." He replied with a shrug.

"Oh... shall we go to the bedroom then?" Gupta was used to that response being Heracles' way of saying his sexual appetite went unsatisfactory so he would be left to finish what his partners could not.

"Nah. Not in the mood. Went to bed early." He sighed.

"Wait... what? You didn't sleep with anyone last night?" Sadık's eyes went wide under his mask.

"No. Did you?" He snapped back.

"No!" He answered quickly, face red. "And it's none of your business."

"So what did you do?" Gupta asked before Heracles could repeat his father's last sentence.

"I talked with Kiku until Alfred stole him away. Walked in on the Romanian and his lover... then I rescued Kiku before Alfred could molest him. I drove Kiku home and spent the night."

"In his bed?" The Turk scowled.

"No." Heracles glared.

"Bull shit. You expect us to believe you spent a night alone with Kiku without sleeping with him?" The other opened his mouth to answer but Sadık cut him off, "And then you deny Gupy's offer for sex?"

"Sadık!" The Egyptian choked on his drink, his face scarlet.

"I'm not _that_ desperate for sex." Heracles scoffed.

"Why you little-"

"He didn't mean it like that, Sadık." Gupta hurriedly got between the two, placing his hand on the Turk's chest to stop him from lunging at Heracles. "Save the fighting for afer the dinner... when I am home."

After being assured the two were not going to rip each other's throat out he settled back down in his seat to tinish his breakfast. When they had all finished he had offered to clean up. However Sadık shot the offer down, taking the dishes instead. Gupta thanked him then followed his boyfriend into the living room. He sank onto the couch, Anput jumping onto his lap while Heracles went to pick a DVD for them to watch. Three were placed on the coffee table before him; Aristocats, The Lion King, and Aladdin.

Gupta pointed to the last, earning a pout from the feline loving Greek. He put the movie on and then cuddled up with the other, ignoring Anput's growling. Her owner sighed and set her on the floor, pressing himself against the Greek. In the kitchen Sadık finished cleaning, entering the living room as the opening song ended. Heracles flipped him off behind Gupta's back, pulling a Greek flag blanket around them. Sadık returned the rude gesture before sinking into the arm chair to keep an eye on them and the movie.

Heracles began to nod off before they reached the middle of the movie. An occasional teasing caress from Gupta would jar him awake though. Each time Sadık had to bite back a snarl or crude remark. When the caresses finally stopped, he was able to tear his gaze from the couple to focus on the movie that now had Gupta's full attention. Only when he heard snoring did he look back over at the couch. He slinked over to sit on Gupta's other side, smirking at the sleeping Greek.

"You seem used to this." He noted as slim fingers made their way through wavy brown hair in a rather mechanical way.

"Yes. He sleeps often." Gupta puller his gaze from the television to look at the man. Unless..."

"... cats are involved?" He finished with a light laugh. "He's still such a kid..." He murmured thoughtfully, staring at his son.

"Isn't it most parents' wish for their children to remain as such?"

"Mm... I suppose. But jus' look at what he watches." He nodded towards the television.

"I thought that these movies were yours." Gupta giggled quietly.

"Ah, yer a sharp one, Guppy." The older man smiled, enjoying the sound or the other man's laugh. "You'd probably make one hell of a parent." He frowned sadly. "Unlike myself..."

"... I love kids." He murmured sadly, looking at Anput as she dozed in front of him with Maskeli. "I've always wanted a family of my own."

"Then dump the Greek and find a woman with some nice hips ta settle down with."

"We've been over this, Sadık... no woman... and no babies." He returned his attention to the screen, hoping to now tune the other out.

"Why not? Ya infertile or somethin'?"

"Or something..."

"So how about adoption then?"

"Adoption..." Gupta pondered for a moment before sighing sadly. "No. It wouldn't work."

"Because of Heracles? Screw 'im. You can raise a kid on your own. So long as you don't make he same mistakes I did... which you won't. 'Cause, like I said, you'd be one hell of a dad."

"No. I wouldn't." Gupta began to think of his mother as she lay on her reath bed and how he had felt...

"Yes, you would. If ya want a kid then get one!"

"Can we please just drop this?" His lip trembled.

"Mama..." The Greek's sleepy whine distracted them. "Mama..." Sadık sighed, reaching over to pat his son's head.

"Still such a mama's boy."

"What's wrong with that?" Gupta sniffed.

"Huh? Hey, are you crying?" Sadık stiffened, staring at the younger with wide eyes.

"Way to go old man..." Heracles mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. "What did you say to him?" He held his boyfriend close, petting him.

"This is your fault." He snapped, denying that he would ever hurt Gupta. "Ya brat." He gripped his shirt in a fist, glaring.

"I was sleeping, asshole!" Heracles shouted. "Let go of my shirt with your dirty hands."

"What was that!"

Gupta's sobbing quieted as he watched the two of them bicker. It was humorous and comforting that the two cared for him yet showed it by childishly playing the blame game. At the sound of his laugter, the bickering men sprang apart, crossing their arms and pouting.

"What's so funny?" They demanded.

"I love you guys." He simply smiled.

* * *

We're almost to the good part~ So close... Then the story really begins.

Thanks to Hetaoni for the review~ All you that are reading this, feel free to follow Hetaoni's example. Why not take a guess at Egypt's condition? Or ask some (civil) questions? Or just give a little "Sweet..." comment or something. xD It would make my day, truly.

Whelp, anyways... I've been writing a lot of this on my phone so please excuse little mistakes. If there are too many for you guys to handle, review about them or something and I'll start reviewing these chapters twice before uploading.


	4. He Has What!

"Are you done yet, old man?" Heracles shouted from the main doorway.

"Almost. Keep yer pants on!" Sadık shouted from his bedroom.

"Ugh. He's worse than a woman." The Greek groaned to Gupta.

"Nothing wrong with following fashion trends, Heracles." He lightly chastised.

"It is if you're a man claiming to be straight." He scoffed.

"Well then it's a good thing that he isn't claiming to be straight." The Egyptian's smile earned a frown from his boyfriend.

"What has he told you?" He asked suspiciously.

"Many things." He answered vaguely, chuckling.

"Okay!" Sadık appeared at last dressed in a fine shirt and black pants, his red tie loosened considerably. "Let's get going. We're picking Arthur and Alfred up from the gas station and the others are going to meet us at the restaurant." He led the way to the car after locking the house, holding the passenger door open for Gupta.

"Kiku said he's bringing Emil." Heracles informed him.

"Emil?" That was a name that was new to Gupta.

"He's a kid I hired a few days ago. He just moved here from Iceland. Sonny's living with some family friends until his brother moves back from Denmark." Sadık explained, setting out for his gas station. "He begged me for a job and I jus' couldn't turn him down." He chuckled. "I admire his drive to succeed..." He looked in his mirror at Heracles, frowning.

The atmosphere became a bit tense after the hint of disappointment. At the gas station Alfred and Arthur were bickering with each other. Sadık got out to separate them and then lock the gas station. He made sure that Heracles sat between the two blonds before returning to his seat. The bickering still did not stop and Gupta was reminded of Sadık and Heracles' relationship. They were quite similar; similar to the point he almost addressed Arthur as Sadık when a hit aimed at the American got his boyfriend instead. Now the blonds took notice of the Egyptian.

"Dude. Weren't you that guy that threw up at Kiku's party?" The nineteen year old exclaimed.

"Alfred! That was incredibly rude!" Arthur quickly scolded while Gupta blushed in embarrassment, unable to look at the others.

"If I recall correctly, Alfred, you threw up all over your girlfriend at Heracles' birthday party." Sadık's smirk came off a bit threatening. "No wonder the poor thing broke up with ya."

"I remember that." Heracles laughed. "This asshole was not happy cleaning up after you." He jammed his thumb in the driver's direction.

"S-shut up!" Alfred whined, now being the humiliated party. "Someone spiked my drink!"

"All twenty of them?" Alfred scoffed.

Gupta mouthed his thanks to Sadık, smiling at the wink he received in response. His good mood faded though as he recognized the restaurant. It was the Italian restaurant that the Vargas brothers worked at. Sadık parked next to a sleek red car and waved to the driver. It was Kiku. The Japanese man got out of his car and went to greet them properly, his passengers unloading as well.

"Oh. You brought your little brother?" Heracles looked at the indifferent Asian standing by an equally indifferent blond.

"_Hai_." He nodded. "Emil and Leon have become friends and Yao wanted the house to himself and that man." Gupta never expected to hear Kiku speak in such a tone.

"Hey pops." The blond greeted his boss while the brunet Asian frowned in Arthur's direction.

"So you're here too?" He mumbled.

"It's been awhile, Leon." The Englishman shook the teenager's hand. "I trust Yao is taking good care of you?"

"What time is it?" Kiku inquired.

"Time for you guys to get inside. A table just opened up!" A cheerful voice sounded from the restaurant entrance.

"Antonio!" Sadık greeted the Spaniard first. "Thank you for talking to Francis and the Vargas brothers for us. If you hadn't, this outing wouldn't have been possible."

"Arthur and Alfred both know Francis too." Antonio laughed, feeling flattered by the thanks.

"But yer his friend while they're family. He likes you more."

"Sad but true." The Brit sighed and ushered Alfred and Heracles to join the group at the entrance.

"Jeez. Are you idiots ready to eat or should we just cancel dinner in favor of this get together?" Lovino snapped. "Table's this way." He dragged Antonio by the arm, forcing the others to follow behind him.

"Lovi, you know you're not working, right?" He chuckled as the Italian slapped menu on the table.

"Feliciano is busy and I can do whatever I want." He huffed.

"So we're all here then?" Sadık chuckled, taking his seat.

Gupta and Emil both took their seat on either side of him. Heracles settled between his boyfriend and Japan and Leon sat by Emil. Alfred sat on Japan's free side, already scanning the menu. Arthur sighed, choosing to sit with Leon, making him sigh as well. Lovino was forced into the seat next to him by the hyper Spaniard.

"Okay then. Order what ya want. It's on me tonight!" The Turk declared merrily.

"Any suggestions, Lovino-kun?"

"Yeah. Don't eat any breadsticks or you'll arouse the asshole sitting next to you." The Italian scoffed. "Then you'll be dragged off into the bathroom and-"

"Lovino~!" Antonio whined. "Show some respect. Heracles' boyfriend is sitting right next to him." He glanced at Gupta.

"Boyfriend?" Half the table echoed.

"So you are Gupta-san?" Kiku leaned over to look at the Egyptian, bowing a bit. "I am very sorry for sleeping with Heracles. He had not told me-"

"It's fine." The younger was shrinking back against Sadık as all attention was on him. "You are not the first." He glanced at the Greek. "And you won't be the last."

"Who is going to be his last?" Alfred laughed.

"A complete stranger." Heracles joked.

"Hmn." Gupta's lips were pressed tight together in a thin line. "Can we just order?"

"Wait... I am still allowed to sleep around, right?" Sadık smacked the back of his son's head.

"Just order your damn food. You know Guppy would let you get away with murder." He grumbled then put on a grin, looking over the menu. "Who wants wine?"

"Leon, Emil, and Alfred are all too young." Arthur informed.

"I can't drink alcohol either." Gupta murmured, "Not that I even like the taste."

"Jeez. You're a freak. I don't know anyone that hates wine." Lovino scoffed. "Our wine is the best." He bragged.

"Don't listen to him, chap. I prefer a pint of beer over a glass of wine. Reminds me too much of-"

"_Moi_?" A new voice chuckled lightly. "_Bonjour_ gentleman... and Arthur... I am Francis, the head chef. I decided to personally take your orders." He pulled out a notepad. "Mostly to tick off your little Britishman here." He patted Arthur's head.

"We'll take a bottle of wine." Sadık looked at Lovino. "Lovino's recommendation."

"Ah _oui_. I know it." Francis nodded. "Appetizers and other drinks?"

"Sodas sound good for you kids?" Sadık asked, his tone teasing. "Might as well get breadsticks too."

"I'll just have water."

"Okay. I'll send Feli out with your orders soon." He flipped the notebook shut and headed back to the kitchen.

"Guppy, you could have had any drink on the menu. I'm paying."

"He only drinks water and juices." Heracles rolled his eyes. "Or did you not notice?"

"Well yeah but... hey! Don't get smart with me, brat."

"Oh how charming. Another fight. Kiku, would you mind?" Arthur glanced up from his menu.

"Heracles-kun." He spoke softly, "Sadık-san. Please don't fight. It is supposed to be a celebration, _hai_?"

"Tch." Sadık scoffed and looked away. "Disrespectful brat."

"Old fart." Heracles grumbled.

"Why you!"

"Oh well. You tried, Kiku." Alfred laughed. "Anyone else getting lasagna?"

Gupta kept his silence as the others began to discuss orders and his two friends fought. He had not expected the quiet, tentative Japanese man to stop them. Even he found that task to be a waste of time. Yet the others had made it sound like he is usually the one to stop their fights. Feliciano came by with their drinks and the wine, chattering to his brother and Antonio. The noise level was increasing and Gupta's space was being pressed by the two quarreling. He noticed Feliciano staring at them, two wine glasses in hand. Of course he could not pour their drinks when acting the way they were. The Egyptian took a deep breath and raised his hands before gripping both of the men's hair curls, tugging.

"Ouch!" The pair of them yelped loudly, drawing attention.

"If you boys don't stop fighting, I am leaving." He said simply, tugging their curls again for good measure. "Now who's the adult?"

"I am." Sadık felt his eyes water.

"Who's the child?"

"I am." Heracles whimpered.

"And who is always right?"

"You are!" They exclaimed.

"Now quit fighting and let the poor kid pour your wine." He relased his grip on their hair and crossed his arms, watching Feliciano.

"T-Thank you, Gupta." He smiled and then did his job, setting two baskets of breadsticks on the table. "Would you like the same thing you had on your 8th anniversary?"

"Yes please. Sadık will have the eggplant parmesan and Heracles will have the same." He smiled pleasantly.

"Okay. Your food will be done soon..." He smiled and then left.

"Dude, that was cool."

"Oh shut it."

"Sorry for fighting, Gup." Heracles apologized.

"Yeah, what he said. Didn't mean to upset ya." The older man agreed.

"I don't have a problem with your fighting so long as you keep it at home." Gupta smiled and patted their cheeks before reaching for a breadstick; he was feeling prideful as the others stared at him in surprise for something he did on a weekly basis.

"Feli-chan mentioned that you celebrated your 8th anniversary... how long have you been with Heracles?" Kiku inquired hesitantly. "You seem to know both of them quite well."

"I've been looking after Guppy since my wife... since Heracles' mom died."

"What about his parents?" Emil mumbled around a breadstick.

"His dad was murdered and his mother was hospitalized." The Turk mentally smacked himself, glancing down to see if he offended the younger man.

"My _father_ was an asshole." Gupta grumbled.

"Don't talk about _nono_ like that, _puttana_!" Antonio frowned at Lovino.

"That's not nice."

"I am used to it, Antonio."

"What did he call you?" Sadık glared at the Italian. "What did you call him?"

"Calm down. He didn't insult me."

"Sounded like he did."

"Well he didn't." He sighed and placed his hand on the Turk's thigh under the table. "I probably shouldn't have insulted your grandpa but as he is my father I can call him what I want."

"I knew the man personally and he was a friend but I agree with Guppy. He should have been more responsible." Sadık glanced at the Egyptian and then Heracles-the Greek was talking quietly to Kiku.

After a few minutes Antonio was able to occupy Lovino's attention, ending the conversation. Feeling grateful, Gupta began to remove his hand from the other man's leg, only for it to be pulled right back. Sadık grinned a bit and held the hand in his own. He was uncertain how to take the sudden gesture of affection and wondered why he was suddenly so bold. A glance to his side showed why. Kiku was smiling with his boyfriend, watching him play with his breadstick. Heracles finished his game and stole a sip from the other's glass. Gupta's throat constricted, witnessing how happy they were. Before he could feel too upset about it though, Sadık gently tugged at his hand and whispered in his ear.

_"Sen iyi misin?_" Gupta shrugged and then whispered back.

"I kinda want to just be at home right now. Sleeping." Sadık chuckled.

"I feel the same." He still held the slim, smooth hand in his own. "Though it's nice spending some personal time with my employees. Ya learn so much and it makes ya feel like a family."

"Mm. Wish my boss was more like you." Gupta smiled and wiggled his fingers until his hand was released. "I'm actually feeling hungry." Though he was appreciative of the comforting contact, he worried what the others would say should they catch them.

"Well it looks like our food is on its way." He grinned and motioned to both Feliciano and Francis making their way over with platters in hand.

The food was passed out with little conversation. There was no more uncomfortable atmosphere and no more fights. Heracles stopped flirting with Kiku long enough to place a chaste kiss on the corner of Gupta's mouth, making Lovino scowl briefly. He took a few more minutes to steal from his plate and feed him a few bites from his own fork. The display made Sadık want to gag and then punch Heracles but he refrained, turning to strike up conversation with Emil. Gupta had almost finished his spaghetti when his phone buzzed, making him jolt. He wondered why his work would be calling and excused himself-he had to take his pills anyways.

"Hello?" He answered the moment he was alone in the bathroom, shaking some pills out into his hand. "Oh. Hey Ninad." It was the only coworker he could call a friend. "Bad news? Hang on. Gimme a sec to take my pills." He set the phone down, knocked back the pills and then splashed water on his face. "OK. What's the bad news?" Though he expected the answer, it was still upsetting to hear. "I'll... I'll be fine. I'm with some friends right now. The Italian restaurant. Thanks for offering a ride. Text me when you get here."

He sighed heavily ad hung up, sliding to sit on the floor. He had finally been fired. Fired for something he could not help. For being sick too often. He would be broke in no time and forced to find another job soon. Getting hired at he grocery store had been a challenge for him though and his confidence was shot. He will not be able to support himself and Heracles or pay for his medication. The future was suddenly very grim.

"Where did Guppy go?" Sadık looked around the restaurant, only just notcing the other's absence.

"Bathroom." Heracles answered with a shrug, pulling out his phone. "He's been in there for awhile though." He sent a brief text then went back to eating.

"I hope he is okay." Kiku murmured, sipping his wine.

"Probably throwing up again." Leon mumbled.

"You saw that too?" Alfred laughed.

"Grow up." Arthur groaned.

Heracles was about to add something when his phone beeped, indicating a message had been sent. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open, stiffening at the message received. He frowned and sent a reply the moment he recovered from shock. Sadık and Kiku both noticed his behavior and asked about it. He just shook his head, closing his phone.

"Gupta just isn't feeling well."

"He looked fine to me." His rather scowled. "Did you say or do something to him?"

"No. He's leaving soon though. I guess he has a ride." Heracles' frown deepened. "I should go check on him."

"I'll come with." Sadık moved his chair back but not as fast as the usually lethargic Greek.

"Alone." His tone was stern and he left after ensuring that he would not be followed. "Gup?" He stepped into the bathroom. "What's wrong..?"

"A few things. Could you please leave me alone right now?" He Egyptian hid himself in a stall. "I need to think about some things."

"Are you sure? About what you sent me?" Heracles frowned. "Did you mean it?"

"Yes." He murmured. "Could you grab my things from the table and thank your father for me?"

"Yeah. Sure." The Greek sighed and left, going back to the others who were no longer interested in their food. "Gupta said thanks, dad."

"What happened?" He demanded-he had not been called dad since Heracles was ten.

"He got sick." He lied with a shrug and grabbed the messenger bag, knowing the other did not believe him.

"Well... tell him to call me when he makes it home."

"I will."

~!~

"Hey Kiku, do you have plans tomorrow night?"

Heracles was at the gas station a week after the dinner party, leaning over the counter while the Japanese man did inventory. Kiku stopped for a moment, tilting his head at the question. Sadık crouched behind a display, eavesdropping while shelving a few things. Heracles repeated his question until Kiku finally answered with a no.

"Then do you want to go see a movie with me?" He smiled.

"I guess so. Gupta will be going too, right?" He set his clipboard down.

"No. I haven't heard from him since the day after the restaurant." Heracles replied.

"Then I don't think I should..."

"Please?" He pouted. "I really need somebody to help me through my break up."

"Break up?" Both of the men shouted.

"Ugh. It's rude to eavesdrop, old man."

"When did you two break up? Why did you break up with him?" Sadık approached the younger with a stern gaze and a clenched fist.

"I didn't break up with him. He broke up with me. At the restaurant." He rolled his eyes. "And no, I don't know why. I don't really care either."

"Well I do." Sadık scowled.

"As do I. You two just had your eighth anniversary. It seems strange for him to break it off so soon after it. It wasn't because of me, was it?" Kiku fretted.

"No, Kiku. These two had an open relationship. Guppy gave him permission to sleep around." Sadık attempted to comfort his favorite employee. "I'll go talk to him." He headed to the door but stopped, "Oh, and Heracles, if you start dating Kiku you better find another place to live."

"I would not date him unless he had a job, Sadık-san." Kiku smiled while the other gaped and pouted.

"Oh come on, Kiku~ you didn't say that at the party."

Sadık bit back his disgust at his son's behavior and went to his van, flipping his phone open to try and call Gupta. However he just got the voicemail again. He had called the Egyptian at least twice a day since he left abruptly at the dinner but never got an answer. He had assumed that the other was just mad at him for something. That perhaps holding his hand under the table was a bit too much and he had scared him away. Now that he was single though, he saw no reason why it would upset him.

He arrived at the apartment and got out, trotting up the stairs and rapping his knuckles on the door. He waited for the barking but heard none. He looked around, hoping that Gupta had just taken Anput for a walk. He quickly grew impatient though and pulled out a spare key, opening the door. The sight of boxes met him, making him freeze. The kennel was gone and the kitchen bare. Now he grew seriously worried, calling out for his former ward.

"Sadık?" The voice from behind made the Turk jump. "Why are you here?" Gupta stood behind him with another man, frowning.

"Guppy!" He was too relieved to think properly, pulling the small man into a hug. "I was worried about you. Heracles told me you dumped him. What happened?"

"Um." Gupta glanced at the other man. "Ninad, go ahead and take the last of the boxes." He patted Sadık on the head and pulled him over to the lonely couch. "You came at a bad time. I'm moving out."

"Why?"

"I can't afford the rent anymore since... I got fired." He sighed.

"You what?" He gaped. "When? Why didn't ya tell me, _bebek_?"

"I didn't want to spoil your dinner or be a burden on you. You already have one jobless adult depending on you." He murmured, unable to look the other in the eye.

"You know I would still take you in. You could never be a burden!" Sadık insisted.

"I know but I wouldn't feel comfortable..."

"Why not? Cause of the Greek or cause of me?" He bit his lip. "Cause I'm more than willing to kick him out."

"It's not either of you. It's me... and don't kick him out." He frowned. "I don't have a job... I don't want you to think you have to care for me. I'm not a kid anymore."

"I never said you were." Sadık sighed. "Why did out get fired?"

"... My illness." He mumbled.

"That's bullshit!" He roared. "You had-"

"Sit down. I missed nearly a whole week of work. I don't blame them."

"Still..." he trailed off, "Why haven't you found a new job yet? It's not the end of the world."

"No one will hire me." He replied.

"I would have hired you!" Sadık was hurt that Gupta had not once considered turning to him for help; instead he turned to a young, handsome stranger. "Who is that man?"

"Ninad. My former coworker that's letting me stay with him." He answered.

"He isn't taking advantage of ya, is he?"

"What?" Gupta blushed. "No!"

"How come you'll stay with him and not me?"

He frowned and the Egyptian shared the expression, thinking things over. Now that Sadık was in front of him he found his arguments diminishing. He was begging to help him and Gupta was being stubborn. He looked over at Ninad and motioned for him to join them. Once he sat with them, he gave a proposition.

"I am going to stay with Ninad for a few days and if you can get me a job, I will move in. Only if Heracles wants me to and only if I get to somehow repay you for helping me though." He sighed heavily due to his stress and illness. "Does that sound reasonable?"

"Extremely." Sadık answered quickly.

"Want to help us finish the move?" Ninad asked the Turk with a smile. "I'm not really good with all this heavy lifting."

"Sure. Kiku can take care of the station on his own." He got up and hefted up a box. "So long as Heracles doesn't distract him too much."

"You left them alone together?" Gupta's tone was light and somewhat amused. "Why?"

"I was worried about ya!" He laughed. "Kiku can protect himself for a. Few hours." He headed out the door. "Where are these going?"

"The car. Follow me."

After Sadık finished the move he took Gupta to his car. He had to bring him back to the station so he could fill out an application. Kiku was taking care of a customer when they arrived and Heracles was nodding off at the counter. The door made a sound when opened and he looked up, frowning at Sadık. Kiku finished with the customer and greeted them.

"Hey Kiku, where did you file the applications?"

"There's a stack on your desk. Why?" Kiku glanced at Gupta.

"Gupta here lost his job and needs a new one." He clapped the small man on the back.

"Is that why they broke up?" The Japanese manager whispered.

"No." He jumped when he got an answer. "And my former relationship is nobody's business."

"My apologies." He dipped his head and returned to his work while Sadık went to the back for an application.

"So... why did we break up?" Heracles asked his ex.

"You should be asking why we didn't break up sooner." He answered simply.

"I don't really understand unless... is this about your condition, Gupta?"

"More or less." He shrugged. "It just took a few years for me to realize I wasn't the one for you."

"Ready to go, Guppy?"

"Yes. Ninad doesn't live far from here. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"No trouble." Sadık grinned, handing him the application before heading out to the car. "So how soon can you move in?"

~!~

"Dad." Sadık froze where he was, slowly turning to face his son. "Why are you moving me to the basement?"

"Because Guppy's moving in tomorrow, that's why." He readjusted his hold on the box, continuing down the stairs.

"So you're giving him my room and Kiku can stay with me?" He asked hopefully.

"Nope. Kiku's taking yer room and yer staying in the basement with your cats." He plopped the box down at the foot of the stairs. "Guppy will be sleeping with me."

"What?" The box Heracles had been carrying slipped from his hands. "He just broke up with me and you're going to have sex with him?"

"No," He scoffed, "I'm not you. Guppy and I can sleep in the same bed without it meaning anything." He started heading back upstairs. "We slept together that night he got sick when you fucked Kiku for a second time."

"And he said you didn't take advantage of him." The sarcasm made Sadık roll his eyes.

"You got a lot to learn, boy. 'Sleep with' and 'sex with' are two separate terms." He headed towards Heracles' room to grab another box. "And Guppy and I will have a relationship that ends in sex, not starts with it. Unlike your relationship with Kiku."

"Wait... what did you say about your relationship with Gupta?"

"I didn't say anything." He said quickly, suddenly finding himself backed into a corner of the living room.

"So you didn't say that you have a relationship with my ex that could end up sexual?" The Greek had him cornered.

"Pft. That's quite an imagination ya got there, brat." He laughed loudly, covering up the sound of a door opening.

"I heard you. You want sex with Gupta!"

"I do not! I was just giving a 'for instance'." He snapped. "Sex is the last thing on my mind."

"Yeah right... I know you tend to bable and speak your real thoughts. So that means you do have a thing for Gupta."

"Damnit, brat..." He grumbled, face red at the truthful accusation. "So what if I have an interest in yer ex."

"That's why you're moving me in the basement." He relaxied and his scowl deepened. "Don't go after Gupta."

"Why the hell not?" He huffed. "He's not yours and I won't make a move until he's had enough time..."

"Don't make a move on him. I'd rather you date Kiku." He frowned. "Cause Kiku doesn't have any problems and can recover from heart break."

"Gupta is stronger than you think and what do you mean by problems? So what if he gets sick easily. Nothing a proper diet can't fix."

"No. You don't get it! His problem can't be solved that easily and he'll just get worse."

"What the hell is his problem then?"

"He has HIV!" Sadık's eyes widened in shock as did the third party in the room at Heracles' outburst.

"Your ex boyfriend had an STD and you didn't tell me?"

"Kiku…" Heracles spun around to find their newest housemate staring with an appalled look. "It's not a big deal, I never-where are you going? Wait!"

He hurried after Kiku, leaving his father to stare off, his mind racing and thoughts tumbling…

* * *

Gah. Shitty last line but meh. This chapter marks the beginning. Finally. xD

I just said that I will be going on hiatus on dA from the internet just before having a mental breakdown. However, thanks to the anonymous guest reviewer, I think I will try my hardest to update this story... though I don't trust my mental stability when faced by a troll... so... we'll see where this goes. Thank you to all that review and support this story...

I have been fairly consistent with my updates because I have posted after starting/finishing the next chapter. But due to the problem above I will return to posting when I can.

**READ BEFORE YOU REVIEW NEGATIVELY**:

One more thing: Both my reviewers guessed and got it (mostly) correct. He does have HIV, not AIDs but, if he isn't careful and doesn't take his pills and whatnot, it can easily develop into AIDs. I realize there will probably be complaints about this but I did research and visited sites and blogs for those with this disease. I understand it is probably a tender subject for many and if you feel offended or anything of the sort, you can leave. Thankfully this disease is more manageable than it was when it first came out so it's not necessarily a death sentence. However it still isn't a thing to be taken lightly. Safe sex is the best sex and so on. Note I do not want to offend or be insensitive about this. I just think we've reached an era where this isn't taboo. Especially compared to how much incest and sadomasochism and other things (rape) some yaoi fangirls enjoy. This disclaimer out of the way, I hope you enjoy the rest of this fanfic and look forward to more.

- EDIT: Okay, so there were hella typos since I typed on my phone... I was rereading this for like the sixth time and finally noticed them. xD I fixed the obvious ones so it should be better. I most have been pretty sleepy when I was writing... I usually am.


	5. Truths Come Out

Sadık's eyes followed Ninad as the man came in with the last of Gupta's boxes. Anput was curled up on the couch with Maskeli and the Egyptian himself was still at work with Kiku. Heracles thanked Ninad in place of his father and then led the man back out before returning to look through the boxes. It had been a few days since the Greek had informed him about Gupta's condition and he had been unable to think clearly about it ever since, choosing to speak to anyone only when needed.

At the gas station, Kiku was just about ready to hand his shift with Gupta over to Emil and Antonio. He glanced at the Egyptian as he grabbed his messenger bag, recalling the conversation he had with Heracles. He had been as shocked as anyone would be upon finding out though now he seemed to have a loose understanding of things. Especially why he was quick to head for Kiku's car when Antonio was dropped off by an agitated Lovino.

"He's not so bad, Gupta-san." He informed the other, getting into the driver's seat. "He treats everyone poorly. Even his lover."

"I know." Gupta sighed, aggravated by how Kiku was starting to act like Feliciano around him, worried about being offensive. "So tell me again why you're now living in Heracles' room."

"Oh. I got into a fight with my brother and his husband kicked me out." He answered shortly.

"And Heracles asked Sadık or did you ask him?"

"Sort of both." He replied. "Sadık was reluctant since you're moving in and Heracles is more or less my lover." The Japanese man's face was a deep red at the confession.

"Congratulations... more or less." Gupta chuckled lightly. "I trust you're sleeping separate from him?"

"Sadık's only rule." He nodded. "Was he strict with you?"

"No. I slept next to Heracles every night I spent there." He paused. "Well, until your party. Sadık let me sleep with him after that a few times."

"Oh..." Kiku suddenly felt awkward, knowing his boss' feelings. "We'll be there soon. Do you need anything before we get there?"

"No. Thank you for giving me a ride."

When the car was parked next to Sadık's, they got out and headed into the house. A delicious aroma wafted through the house from the kitchen and Gupta bragged to Kiku about Sadık's cooking. He then headed over to Heracles' old room, pausing to look at his boxes stacked in the hallway. Kiku had already moved his things in and the change surprised the younger. It was actually clean and organized. No clothes or toys scattered about the floor.

"Did you clean the room yourself or did they clean it for you?"

"Why do you ask?" Kiku went to inspect his video game collection.

"Just wondering if you had seen Heracles' sadistic sex toys..." He left rather quickly after that, the image of the other's appalled face in his mind, and went into the kitchen. "What are you cooking?"

"Huh?" Sadık turned away from his electric grill. "Oh, hey Guppy." He gave a slight smile; he had been forcing them lately when it came to Gupta. "I decided to make some simple American food. Sorry for the let down."

"That's fine. I'll have plenty of your better meals to look forward to." He stood on his toes to get out the plates and cups, setting the table and ignoring the somewhat awkward atmosphere. "So where will I be sleeping?" He was hoping to get the distracted look off of the other's face.

"I was thinking of sharing the bed but now I'm not so sure that's the best idea." He scratched his beard.

"Why not..?" He set the table, eyes trained on the annoying white mask. "Not that I wouldn't mind a bed of my own." He lied. "But what changed your mind?"

"Just... things." He shrugged and turned his back to Gupta. I'll sleep on the couch until we find another bed for you."

The younger man fell quiet and finished setting the table. As the silence stretched, Gupta decided to look for his ex to ask what had happened recently that would cause the usually cheery man to act so distant towards him. Anput followed when she spotted him, racing down into the basement. Heracles was sleeping on his bed with his cats when Gupta came down. He went over and clapped his hands over him, making Anput jump on him and scatter the cats.

"What gives?" He yawned.

"What is wrong with Sadık? He doesn't want to sleep with me anymore." The Egyptian's eyes narrowed. "You told him, didn't you..?"

"What, no... of course not. I know how much that would hurt you." He averted his eyes and Gupta crawled closer to him.

"You were never very good at lying to me..." He held the Greek's face towards him.

"I-It slipped out." He whimpered.

"It slipped out..?" Gupta scoffed. "What sort of conversation would bring up HIV accidentally?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." He replied and grabbed the thinner man's wrists. "He's showing how he feels about it..." He pushed the other on his back, pinning him. "So forget about him."

"You knew I cared about him. I should have been the one to tell him." He scowled up at the other. "He should not have found out from a man-whore."

"You take that back." Heracles whined.

"Not until you take back what you told them." He began to tear up out of frustration.

"I can't." He frowned.

"Take it back, damn you!" He cried, pummeling him with a pillow.

"Ow! Gup, stop!"

"Uhm... am I interrupting something?" A tentative voice inquired from the steps.

"Not at all..." Heracles managed to tell his lover under the blows of the unforgiving pillow. "What did you need?"

"Sadık-san said that dinner is ready." He bowed his head quickly then hurried back up the stairs just before he heard the thump of Gupta hitting the floor.

"Calm down, Gupta. It's not the end of the world... You know dad could never hate you." He sighed and looked down at where his ex was now sniffling on the floor.

"But now he'll never love me either."

"You don't need him." Heracles rolled his eyes and yanked the other back on his feet. "Now wipe those tears and let's go eat."

"So where was Guppy?" Sadık asked Kiku when the other joined him.

"Pinned under your son." He replied curtly.

"What? That whore."

"Who's a whore..?"

"My son. What were you doing downstairs, Gupta?" Sadık watched the Greek pull out the chairs. "Alone with him?"

"He was beating me with a pillow."

"What is that code for?"

"Nothing that I am aware of, Adnan-san."

Gupta stayed out of their conversation, pulling some meat onto his plate, noticing that it was fairly bland-healthier than the Turk's usual cooking. He glanced at the man, surprised to find he, along with the others, were staring at him. He looked back at his plate and started to eat, feeling self-conscious. He used to love dinner with Sadık and Heracles but now he was uncertain about what the older man was thinking about him. He was being judged now. After the others finished eating, he attempted to clear the table but Kiku beat him to it, carrying plates to soak in the sink.

"I'm heading to bed. Early morning at work for me." Sadık got up and headed for his bedroom.

"Are you going to follow him?"

"Heracles, talk to me again and I will castrate you in your sleep." Gupta did get up and follow though, despite his threat.

Sadık had gathered his night attire and some fresh boxers and was just about to enter the bathroom when Gupta arrived. He quickly closed the door and locked it, making the younger sigh. Anput trotted into the room shortly after, settling her head in her master's lap. Gupta forced a smile and pulled her nose to his, waiting patiently for the sound of rushing water to stop. However he soon grew tired of sitting and changed positions so he was laying down instead. With Anput curled up to his back sleep came quickly and Sadık was able to sneak out to the living room.

Gupta woke up at midnight, cursing as the red numbers glared over at him. He rolled away from his dog and got out of he bed, walking through the dark hall with ease. The man he was looking for was stretched out on the couch, Maskeli resting on his chest. Gupta carefully lifted the feline off his owner before attempting to wake him. Sadık grumbled and swatted at him but opened an eye; his mask was laying on the coffee table. He forced his tired body to sit up and patted the cushion next to him.

"So Heracles told you..." Gupta began, "And you avoid me so you cannot catch the disease?"

"I'm not avoiding ya." He rubbed at his amber eyes to wake them. "I'm not stupid enough ta think you can catch an STD purely through contact."

"But you're treating me so different now." He bit his lip. "Why? I am no different from before."

"Well I jus' don't know what to think now." Sadık stiffled a yawn. "I mean, I thought you were an innocent kid... not some whore like my son." He mentally smacked himself upon seeing his words bring tears of hurt to the other man's eyes.

"I'm not a whore." He managed to scowl. "This is why I never let others tell people about this. They automatically assume that I've done something to deserve it... like sleeping around."

"I didn't say you deserved it. No one deserves to get a disease." Sadık said quickly. "... But if you didn't sleep around then how did you get it? Yer not into drugs, are you?"

"No." He pulled a face. "My mother would come back from the dead and kill me if I did." He sighed sadly. "My father gave me the disease when he impregnated my mother. She died from AIDs."

"... So that's what it was..." His frown deepened. "That Italian asshole really was an idiot for sleeping around. I tried ta warn her." He sighed, shaking his head. "Now I'm really wishing I had been he one to kill him."

"Don't say that, Sadık." Gupta lightly smacked his arm.

"Yer right. Sorry." Silence stretched for a few minutes then Sadık turned to the younger. "So you've only slept, sexually, with how many people?"

"That's not really your business but..." He blushed deeply. "I'm still a virgin. Heracles was the only one willing to date someone with an STD and he doesn't do condoms." He played with a loose thread in the couch fabric. "So we didn't even go far... it wasn't a sexual relationship."

"Oh. Well now I feel kinda bad for ever thinking otherwise..." He chuckled nervously.

"You shouldn't. Sex is normal in a relationship... except mine." He sighed and looked at Sadık's stubble. "But do you understand why I let him sleep around?"

"Nope. That little shit could have used condoms." He scoffed.

"True... but they didn't make him happy or enjoy sex fully."

"He's never actually tried using one then." He grumbled and then looked at the Egyptian. "Anyways... I guess I owe you an apology."

"The best you can give me is letting me share your bed with you again. I've grown used to sleeping with another for warmth and comfort."

"Alright." The older man chuckled and got up with his pillow and blanket. "I'll sleep with ya."

~!~

"Hey everybody! I want to throw another party. Anyone have an event coming up? Like a birthday or something?" Alfred shouted through the gas station.

"I already had my birthday." Kiku said quickly. "No party for me."

"Oh come on, there has to be more February birthdays." Alfred's puppy dog eyes scanned the gas station for the new employees. "Emil!" He spotted the youngest stacking a display with Arthur.

"I don't have a birthday this month." He murmured, not stopping his work.

"Aw..." The American pouted and went to look for Gupta.

He headed towards the back of the store where Sadık's office was, deciding to ask the man if he could give him a list of their coworkers' birthdays. He was about to enter without knocking as he usually did but he heard two voices within. It was his boss and the new employee he had been searching for. He decided to eavesdrop on their conversation when he heard the word 'birthday'.

"I don't want anything for my birthday, Sadık. You've given me enough. Call that your present to me." The Egyptian insisted.

"You know I like to spoil my friends." Sadık replied. "I gave Kiku a bunch of new video games for his birthday. I also gave him a pay raise..."

"My paychecks go straight to you and I don't play games."

"But you like culture and stuff." His tone was confident. "I'll find something you like by tomorrow." Alfred grinned to himself and snuck back to the main gas station.

"Guys. I have a party!"

~!~

Sadık had woke up earlier than Gupta in order to prepare his gift. He had gone through things he had stored in the attic and came across a box from his life in Europe. Inside were numerous clothes both dull and of color. A spotless white outfit stood out in the mess, stored carefully in a plastic bag. It was new despite being stored for so long, untouched. Untouched like Gupta... and with that he found his gift for the younger man.

Now, in the van on the way to work, that gift was carefully placed in a bag in the back. Gupta suspected he had a gift and gave no complaints, curiousity getting the better of him. When they pulled into the parking space, they were both wondering why it looked as though the station was empty when Kiku had the opening shift with Alfred. Sadık groaned, already suspicious and got out of the van. He grabbed the bag and led Gupta to the door. On the other side Alfred was shushing his coworkers, trying not to laugh loudly. Parties always excited him, especially surprise parties. Sadık opened the door for the younger, giving him to the 'beast'.

"Surprise!" Greeted them, spoken with different tones.

"Happy birthday, dude." Alfred's arm draped over Gupta's shoulders.

"... Thanks?" He blinked before glancing at the Turk. "How did you know?"

"I had nothing to do with this. Alfred has his ways..." He replied quickly.

"I overheard you guys talking yesterday and set up this awesome partay." He beamed. "I had my pops make a kicking cake."

The newcomers had a chance to finally look at the station, noticing the cake set on the counter in front of Arthur. They all hoped that Alfred's other 'pops' was the one to make the pastry. Heracles was even present, giving Gupta a hug. Presents, the few that were there, were piled ln the counter in bags. Sadık went over to add his gift to the mix. For once he was glad for Alfred's addiction to partying. After employees got their turn to greet the 'birthday boy', Alfred asked for Gupta's age and then placed 28 candles from pocket into the cake.

"Is it okay to light a fire at a gas station?" The Egyptian eyed the candles warily.

"So long as you blow 'em out quick." Sadık nodded in approval.

"Don't forget to make a wish though, dude." Alfred clapped him on the back, making him stumble foreward.

Gupta sighed once he regained his balance and leaned over the cake, lightly blowing the candles out. Alfred and Arthur passed slices out to everyone though Kiku and Antonio declined. Before the twenty eight year old could swallow his last bite, his plate was replaced with a present.

Opening the gifts was apparently one of the American's favorite things about every party. His gift was. The first one opened as well. Gupta doubted he would enjoy whatever was inside but opened it eagerly regardless. The only real birthday party he had was when he was much younger and his mother was in the hospital. Sadık had wanted to cheer him up and bought him a blue bird and invited Heracles' friends to his house. He could still taste the amazing food the Turk had made.

"So dude, what do you think?" Alfred demanded once his gift had been revealed.

"They are... nice pots?" He replied, eying the two small, glossy pots inside the box. "Where were they made?"

"China." The others replied simultaneously.

"No way! This are totally American made." The man whined, picking up a pot and turning it up. "Ha! See? You guys were wrong. 'Made in Mexico'."

"You weren't right either." Arthur snapped.

"Technically speaking... Mexico is a part of North America..." Gupta smiled, defending the pouting teen only to quickly regret it.

"Ha! I like this guy." He shouted, crushing him in a one armed bear hug. "Whose present is next?"

More presents were opened with some decent gifts. Gupta was grateful enough for the thought and consideration so the actual gift value did not matter to him. Soon the gifts were whittled down to two. Heracles' and Sadık's. Both of them lay before the Egyptian and he carefully picked up the smaller of the two.

"Heracles... is this the same thing you get me every year?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"Maybe." He answered slowly.

"Someone burn this."

"Oh come on. Its new this time, I swear." Heracles exclaimed.

"Still... burn it." He grumbled.

"What did you get him?" Sadık gave his son a slight glare.

"It's nothing." Gupta insisted, setting the gift aside in favor of grabbing the last one. "This is light..."

"Yeah. It's not much." The gift's owner murmured, watching him pull out the outfit.

"This is..." He examined the fabric carefully. "A costume for raqs sharqi?" He slid his hand in the bag to feel the fabric and its weight. "Turkish style though."

"Yeah. Yer mom had some of the Egyptian stuff mentioned in her will. Can't find any of it." He apologized. "Still thought you'd like it."

"I love it. Thank you, Sadık."

"Can you belly dance, Gupta?" Antonio inquired.

"I took a few lessons when my mother was still alive." He murmured. "But it was for fun." He set the gift back in the bag. "Thank you for the party, Alfred."

"Any time, dude. I love parties."

After the party had been cleaned up the employees returned to work or their homes. When Gupta's shift ended, Heracles and Kiku offered to take him home after a stop at a fast food restaurant. Since Sadık still had a few hours he accepted the offer, piling his gifts in the trunk. After they got some food-using Kiku's money-they parked at a park between the gas station and home to eat it.

"So Gupta, what did Heracles get you?" The older man tentively asked.

"I'm sure he'll tell you tonight." He replied with a shrug, sipping some juice.

"I'll show you." The Greek yawned, attempting to take a nap in the passenger seat. "After I get my nap..." He plopped his head into his lover's lap, making the other blush.

"Gupta-san..." A few minutes had passed and Heracles was now snoring softly. "Why do Heracles and Sadık-san fight so much?"

"Why ask me and not them?" He replied dully.

"They either don't know or won't tell me." He replied with a frown. "And you know them."

"I'm not really sure. I've never had a father so I'm not sure about the norm for father-son relationships. I assume these disagreements are normal."

"But they get physical sometimes."

"Yeah... that's fairly new. It happened a few months after Sadık caught us making out." Gupta sighed. "I feel like it's my fault but when I confronted him he told me it was something he had found in the room."

"Do you know what it was?"

"Not yet. But I'm sure I'll find out. My guess is that it has something to do with Helena. Heracles blames his father for her suicide."

"What? Why? Sadık is a good man." His eyes were wide.

"It's complicated. I believe she was having an affair. That's what my mother told me." He looked down at his ex and pet him. "Don't tell Heracles though."

"Okay." He murmured and gathered the trash. "Sadık will be getting off work soon."

Kiku gently nudged Heracles to sit back up in his own seat and buckled the heavy sleeper in. They returned to the house and left him in the car while they took the presents into the house. When they came back he was easier to wake and drag into the house. Sadık was already making dinner, the smell wafting through the halls. Anput sat at the door, whining to get out, pawing at the leash on the wall. Once she had been walked and dinner was eaten without a fight the home's occupants found themselves in their rooms. Gupta wandered around the main room, trying to determine where his things could go without disturbing the other. He opened the closet, slightly stunned to see women's clothing within.

"Sadık. Do you mind if I clear out Helena's things?" The woman had been dead for a few years now, after all.

"Hang on." He shouted from the bathroom, hurrying out in a bathrobe. "Let me get a trash bag. We'll put it in the attic tomorrow when Heracles is out."

Gupta blinked as he hurried out and looked back at the closet. He decided to start clearing it, pulling things to the side. He found a box in the back that felt heavy with pictures and papers. He opened it out of curiosity, finding a diary on the top. He heard footsteps and grabbed the diary, hiding it in one or his gift boxes.

"I started moving things out." He informed the older.

"Oh. Good." He murmured, whipping the bag open. "Just set things in here. Don't snoop."

"I won't." He lied, carefully setting the box in before piling clothes on it. "What are you going to do?"

"Clean up a few of my things. Need to start moving your things in."

The other nodded in acknowledgment and continued cleaning out the closet. He liked a few of the older oufits but they were too feminine for his tastes. When he finished stuffing the bag he glanced back to see how far Sadık had gotten. He was already laying back on the bed, snoring and his robe parted a bit. Gupta blushed and hung up his outfit. His other gifts were shoved to the back save for Heracles' gift. He got to his feet and shut the closet door, taking the gift to the bed. He closed Sadık's legs and fixed the robe.

He stirred but kept his eyes closed. Gupta smirked a bit and opened the gift, putting the box on the bedside table. He hovered over the older man, dangling the git over his face.

"You wanted to know what your son got me?" He whispered, lightly smacking him.

"Hn? Yeah..." He slowly opened his eyes. "What is-What the hell?!" He sat up and away from the gift.

"He gets me a toy every birthday. This one is brand new for a change." He laughed at the man's reaction to seeing the vibrating dildo.

"D-Do you actually use them?" He flushed.

"I throw most of them away." He replied with a shrug, tossing the toy back in the box. "I don't think I'll throw that one away though. Looks expensive."

"Y-You probably should." He coughed into a closed fist.

"Why?" He blinked.

"You don't need that kind of thing."

"I might. I don't have a boyfriend anymore." He studied the other man's face.

"But where would you...?" He trailed off, blush still obvious as images came to mind.

"Right here. But I could do it elsewhere."

"You don't have to..." He mumbled. "Masturbation is apparently normal these days."

"You mean you don't masturbate?" Gupta's eyes were wide in shock.

"Not really. You do?" Discussing this topic with his young crush was both embarrassing and informative.

"Heracles never touched mine... so what choice did I have after touching his?" He reasoned.

"Wait. You mean you've never even had a hand job?" He had not intended to scoot closer.

"He was worried he'd somehow get HIV." He shrugged.

"Maybe if he blew ya or if he had a cut on his hand." Sadık scoffed. "Did he even bother learning about yer disease?"

"Why did you read up on it?" He inquired, already suspecting an answer.

"Cause..." He murmured, slightly unnerved by Gupta's intense expression. "I was curious?" The answer disappointed the Egyptian.

"I see. Well, good night."

~!~

The next day was Gupta's day off while Kiku and Sadık both shared a shift. Gupta decided to entertain Anput and the numerous cats in the house with a ball and some string. He did this until he grew tired and handed the makeshift toy to Heracles whom had just woken up. While the Greek played, the other started to make sandwiches. He shared them at the table with his ex and for awhile there was only the sound of chewing and fidgeting.

"You look down, Gup." Heracles noted. "Something happen between you and the Jerk?"

"No. Absolutely nothing." He replied with a slightly aggaravated sigh.

"Oh." He watched Larry pin Maskeli while Tama looked on, hovering over his tuna. "That really upsets you?"

"A little. I feel like he has interest in me but I've never been very good at reading romantic feelings." He frowned.

"That's not true. You read them pretty well." He said. "You realized that we're more like siblings than anything else. You knew I cared about Kiku more than anything else. And..." He hesitated. "You're right about Sadık being interested."

"I am?" Gupta's eyes widened but quickly narrowed. "Don't joke with me..."

"I'm not joking. He said it himself. He wants to... you know..." He squirmed. "He wants to date you."

"Even after he found out about..?"

"Even more so, it seems. He hasn't dated since my mom died so its no surprise that he's awkward. She was his first." He explained slowly.

"So he really... wants me?"

"Please don't say it like that." He gave a small shudder. "But yes, he likes you more than a son or a friend."

"W-What should I do?" A blush spread on Gupta's cheeks. "You were my first boyfriend and you made the first move."

"You can either wait or take a risk. I was against the idea at first but I think that he might be good for you even if it is only temporary." He admitted reluctantly.

"So you want me to take a risk?" He fretted, picking up their plates. "I've never had to face rejection."

"You kinda face it every day." The other said softly, following him to the kitchen.

"You know I don't mean that kind." He scoffed. "I don't really want to make a fool of myself."

"Well... how about Kiku and I set you up on a blind double date but you'll be going with the Turk." He suggested.

"Won't that be awkward?"

"Only if you make it out to be."

"But you're my ex and his son."

"And Kiku and I don't have to show up."

"... Fine. I'll do it."

"Good. Be at the Vargas Restaurant tonight at six."

* * *

Yeah! Finally getting to the good parts. After how many chapters? Jeez... Anyways. Thank you all for the love and support. I started school so updates may continue to be slow. I recommend, as most of you aren't members of , checking in every two or three weeks. I'll try to get a proper update schedule though.

* * *

OH MY GOSH! I can't believe I skipped chapter 4! I'm so sorry if this confused you. I just now noticed a whole chapter was missing since I went back to refresh my memory before writing chapter six. Please forgive my blunder. I hope this clears up questions you might have had.


	6. Dating an Ex's Dad

Gupta had spent quite some time preparing for his date with the help of his ex. He still felt nervous when he saw Kiku's small car pull in to the driveway, here to drop him off at the restaurant. He tuned out the conversation the other two had about where they would go for their own date, wondering if all would work out. Scenarios raced past his mind's eye, most of them with disappointing outcomes. The Vargas Restaurant appeared up ahead and he clenched the door handle as the automatic locks clicked.

"Sadık said he'll be meeting you here in five minutes. Good luck, Gup."

Gupta nodded and stepped out, hands wringing his bag's shoulder strap. He waited just outside the restaurant, eyes watching for a familiar vehicle. When it arrived he smiled and nearly skipped over to greet his date. The Turk put on a surprised expression and greeted him with a smile.

"Where are Kiku and Heracles?" He asked.

"They took off." He answered, feeling a bit jittery. "So I guess this double date became a normal date."

"We're calling it a date?" Sadık inquired. "I like that." He blushed inwardly and offered his arm with a sheepish grin.

"I like it too..." The younger wrapped his arm around the offered elbow. "It should be interesting."

"Yeah." He chuckled and headed to the door, opening it for the other.

"You don't have to be such a gentleman, old man." Gupta teased lightly. "I'm not a woman."

"Oh. Sorry." He apologized and glanced away. "So what did they tell you?"

"About this set up? Heracles said you wouldn't know but I'm assuming Kiku filled you in?"

"Yeah. So I assume you really are interested since you know you'd be going out with me?"

"I assume the same about you." Gupta's brief laughter attracted Feliciano's attention and he came to greet them with menus.

"Where's Heracles?" The bubbly man asked.

"He's on a date with Kiku." Before Feliciano could ask, Gupta added. "We broke up." Again the Italian's mouth opened. "It was my decision and we are still friends."

"Oh." He blinked, looking at Sadık. "And now you're dating his father."

"Maybe. If this dinner goes well." He replied, unfazed by the tone.

"Okay. I'll make sure it goes great!" He grinned widely before dragging the two towards a table for two in the back. "Should I light some candles?"

"No thanks... just calm down, please." The Egyptian requested, taking his seat across from Sadık. "And we'll start with a salad."

"So... what do you like about me?" The older man asked once the Italian had left.

"I love your food." He answered. "You are friendly and hardworking... funny... pretty much the opposite of Heracles." He laid his napkin out on his lap. "But we could sit here all day discussing your attractive attributes. Tell me why you, a widower who fathered my ex, is interested in me..."

"I dunno." He said sheepishly. "I guess cause I feel pretty good when I'm around you. Better than when I was with my wife. That was slightly painful. As I said, yer a good kid and I thought you deserved better than that lazy Greek." Feliciano interrupted by setting down their salad and breadsticks.

"Would you like some wine? And an entrée?" He inquired.

"No wine for me." Gupta answered. "Though I would like something fruity and how about some eggplant parmesan?"

"And you, Mr. Adnan?" He piped.

"Just a cheap wine and the seafood special." He waved him off, wanting to hear what the other would say next.

"So will this be a sexless relationship also?" Gupta decided to cut to the point sure to be avoided.

"I hope not. I was looking forward to some gay sex." Sadık joked but sighed when the other sent him a frown. "I wouldn't mind being celibate but I'm not opposed to some more intimate touches. Regardless of how sexual it will be, I don't believe in any form of cheating. Do you want sex?"

"Not until we've been dating for a few years... maybe months." He admitted, picking a crouton from his salad. "Since we aren't actually a couple yet it's hard to determine."

"We're not?" Sadık blinked. "Why not?"

"This is only our first date... and it was mostly a set up... at my least favorite restaurant."

"Because of the brothers? Feliciano's so nice though."

"Too nice. But I also sort of dislike the food. Not enough choices I enjoy."

"What do you enjoy?" He wondered out loud.

"Bread." He grabbed the last breadstick from the basket. "And most of the dishes you make."

"Bread is fattening."

"I know." He replied with a sad smile.

"Here's your order! Are you enjoying the date so far?"

"Thank you, Feli. I am enjoying it." The Turk said.

"As am I." Gupta added quietly.

When the dinner date was over, Sadık and Gupta were both ready to pay for the whole meal. Sadık eventually agreed to split the bill near even. He insisted on paying the tip. The trip home was comfortably silent until they found Kiku and Heracles were still gone. The Turk grumbled under his breath and pulled out his phone, only for his young companion to stop him.

"Heracles is a big boy now. He can take care of himself." He chided lightly. "If not, Kiku is mature enough for the both of them."

Sadık had no argument and sighed, pulling the key from the ignition. He let Gupta lead the way into the house and to the living room. He went alone to look at their movie choices, deciding on one of his documentaries. He was curious to see how the Turk would react while watching it. Heracles would always fall asleep or occupy himself and Gupta with a kiss and more. Sitting back on the couch right after the other, he leaned against his side, pressing play with the remote.

Upon realizing it was a documentary, Sadık started to shift himself and Gupta into a more comfortable position. He passed the opening credits in silence, glancing at the one sitting up on one of the Turk's legs. When the documentary really began, Sadık became interested in the television. He rather liked the ancient civilizations the documentary was about. At first this impressed Gupta... until he began to feel lonely.

Sadık moved so he was sitting up a bit more and pulled the other with him, putting an arm around his shoulders. He smiled down at him and was startled as a pair of lips pressed against his. Before he could deepen it though, Gupta had pulled away, leaving the older man confused and slightly hurt. However this was still their first date so he accepted the move with a sigh.

They finished the documentary just as Kiku and Heracles returned, attempting to sneak past. Sadık let them pass, helping Gupta put the movie away. They went to their bedroom, taking turns in the bathroom before going to the bed.

"So... this date..."

"Won't be the last." Gupta finished with a smile. "Good night, Sadık."

~!~

Weeks passed by and every Saturday there would be a date. Finally the night came when Gupta decided to advance their relationship. He waited for Sadık to come home from work, bribing Heracles and Kiku to stay in the basement for the night. He had not planned too much but relationships required the actions and thoughts of two people. He just hoped Sadık would be better than his ex to stop when he grew discomforted.

"Hey Guppy, what movie are we watching tonight?" The man came in, a grin splitting his face.

He felt several years younger since he started dating Gupta. He had missed out on much of his young life to raise a child. Now it was like he had been rewarded for his hard work at long last. He was a teenager again.

"I don't have a movie picked out." He answered, coming into the living room, quickly finishing some water. "You're a few minutes early."

"Sorry. Couldn't wait ta see ya." He pulled him in for a deep kiss.

Gupta did not draw a line, wrapping his arms around his neck. He pressed himself flush against the older man's body, feeling Sadık's surprise. He considered pulling away to ask but that would ruin the mood, what ever mood was in the making. He put a hand on Gupta's head, pulling him closer so he could enter deeper into his mouth. He responded to the Turk by standing a bit on his toes, holding himself up with the other man's shoulders, his fingers working their way to his curl, index finger starting to twist it. They broke apart to catch their breath and looked into each others' eyes, cheeks red.

"That was unexpected." Sadık managed to chuckle, pulling them to the couch.

"I want to take the relationship a little further." He confessed, looking at the television rather than his boyfriend.

"Good to know." He said before starting another heavy kiss.

"Are we going to watch a movie?" Gupta breathed, kissing him back.

"Just play whatever's in now." He answered, grabbing the remote to turn on the player. "Won't be paying too much attention anyways."

"Mm." Gupta nodded, kissing his neck a bit, starting to calm his hormones down. "Sorry I kinda jumped you."

"It's fine. It was kinda hot." He rubbed his back and tilted his head as he was kissed. "I haven't seen that much action in awhile."

"It was just a heavy kiss." Gupta blushed, tugging some hairs in Sadık's beard.

"I know. I haven't even dated since Helena..." he trailed off frowning.

Gupta nodded to himself, resting his hand on his chest now that the heat had left. The silence was more than welcome though as a documentary was playing. One they had not seen in awhile. The remainder of the date was spent with cuddling on the couch until the older decided to head to the room. Gupta turned off the lights and television, following him until they reached the bathroom.

"Do you need anything before I take a shower?" Sadık asked to which the other shook his head. "I'll leave the door unlocked just in case..." He decided.

Gupta nodded in acknowledgement and waited for the door to close before pulling off his clothes to change. He went to the drawers to look for his night wear. Unable to locate them he went to check the hampers and closet. After a moment's thought he recalled their last known location: they were in the bathroom. He went in after knocking, grateful that the shower curtains were closed. He moved Sadık's clothes around in his search, feeling eyes on him after awhile. He turned to look where Sadık's head was looking out.

"Have you seen my pajamas?" He asked.

"I think they're in the wash. You can sleep in yer boxers... or one of my shirts." He was grinning somewhat mischievously.

"Fine. I'll wear some of yours." He rolled his eyes.

He went back into the bedroom, going through the other's drawers. He moved fabrics aside and found a reasonable shirt to use. He pulled it on and felt something drop out of it. A yellow folder lay at his feet. Curious, he grabbed it and took it to the bed, already working at the binding. He pulled out a stack of pictures with a note on top. It was from someone calling himself Germania, explaining the nature of the scandalous photos. It was dated back to the time Heracles' and Gupta's moms were still alive.

Photos of Helena on the arm of another, familiar, man fell to the bed. The letter revealed a big secret that Sadık had been keeping about his family. Helena had been having an affair with Gupta's father. The Egyptian was hit by a rush of emotions and felt weak, not registering the sound of the shower water stopping. Sadık came out in a bath robe, making his way over to the bed. He was confused by his young lover's expression until he spotted the envelope and photos.

"Where did you find that?" Sadık asked with narrowed eyes.

"Your drawers..." He answered shakily. "Sadık... did he really cheat on mom with your wife?"

"... Yeah." He sighed and gathered up the papers, sliding them into the envelope. "They've had a fling since high school, apparently."

"Then why didn't he marry her?" He scowled.

"Your mother was very beautiful and your father loved beautiful women." Sadık sighed, resealing the envelope. "I never really liked him but Helena was kind to me and was my first so I married her before your father could get his priority straight." He put the files away and joined the other on the bed. "Your mom deserved better and Helena would have been perfect for a whore like your dad."

"In those pictures... how long ago?" Gupta needed to rest himself on his older friend.

"Around the time she was pregnant in Greece." He answered. "But it had been going on before that too."

"Is Heracles your son or...?" Gupta trailed, fearing the answer.

"I've been too scared to test him." He admitted, pulling back the covers.

"So there's a chance I could have been dating my half brother?" They both shuddered at the thought.

"If so then it wouldn't have been your fault. Besides, you didn't go all the way." He assured the younger, resting their heads on the same pillow. "Tonight was busy. Let's get some rest."

"Good night Sadık." He whispered.

~!~

"So how was the sex?" Heracles asked his ex the moment Sadık left for work.

"How was yours?" Gupta grumbled, watching a disheveled Kiku come up from the basement.

"It was... interesting." The Greek smirked at his lover's answer. "How far did you get with Adnan-san?"

"Just some heavy kissing on the couch. We watched a documentary instead of taking it farther." He shrugged. "I wasn't planning on much."

"Why did you kick me out of my room then?" The Jap pouted.

"Because I wanted alone time. Without any interruptions from a horny Greek." He replied easily.

"Will you ever have sex?" Kiku inquired curiously while his lover started to lazily make breakfast. "I mean... with your condition and all."

"I wouldn't mind if we don't... I would understand if he doesn't want me that way." He murmured. "Heracles wouldn't even risk it with me so why should a man like Sadık risk it?"

"Because he loves you and actually likes condoms." Heracles scoffed, "This things he bought, by the way, do not work."

"You put one on?" Gupta gasped. "When?"

"Last night. Kiku begged me to use one but it went to waste. Broke halfway through." He shrugged.

"How did you get him to use a condom, Kiku?" Gupta had always been open to them but it had always been his ex to deny their use.

"I just asked if we could and he said he would." He answered. "Why?"

"Did it dull the feeling?"

"It was too tight for me." Plates of toast were set before them. "But I still don't like it."

"Don't listen to him. I've used them before. Just get the right kind and size. The ones Sadık have here are too small for Heracles." Kiku advised.

"How will I know what size to get him?" He blushed, glancing at his ex.

"Give him one of your hand jobs. You remember my girth?" He did not wait for the response. "I'm a regular in most condoms... he'll probably be the same but you can check with your hands. See if he's bigger-which I doubt that Turk is." Heracles sipped his coffee.

"I can't give him a hand job so easily." Gupta protested, face a bright red.

"Why not? You gave me one almost every other week at the least."

"Only because you asked. I couldn't just initiate a sexual act on my own. It's embarrassing."

"Then you guys must not be ready for sex." Kiku stated.

"How often do you initiate intimacy?" Gupta snapped lightly.

"... Good point, Gupta-kun." He conceded.

"It's not that hard, Gup. Just look attractive, slide up next to him, unzip his pants, and move in for your prey before he realizes anything."

"I will try."

~!~

After a few days of talking himself up and down the usual date night with Sadık arrived and Gupta's method was to be tested. He sat across from the man, eating the delicious meal. He had planned to skip the movie since they had watched nearly all the good ones. After the kitchen table was clean, Sadık headed for the bedroom, pulling off his shirt. Gupta followed him, deciding to do the same.

Sadık was a little surprised but just smiled, taking his pants off in favor of putting on pajama pants. Gupta stopped him, assuring him he could sleep in his boxers like he did before the Egyptian's arrival. Besides, they had been together long enough to be comfortable without offending the other. Once Sadık was in the bed, his young boyfriend pulled on his large night shirt and joined him. He slid closer to the man and rested his smooth upper body over the fairly hairy torso.

"You're warm." He noted, reaching up to take off the white mask. "I should lay on you more often."

"Yeah?" The Turk was a bit red in the cheeks. "I'd like that. I'll shave tomorrow for ya."

"Shave? I don't want you to shave." Gupta frowned.

"But none of my exes-"

"I'm not like your exes." He cut him off. "If I wanted a less masculine lover then I would return to your son." That drew a laugh from the man.

"Glad to know I have another thing better than his. Other than you of course." Sadık placed a kiss on his lips.

"Are you saying I am a sort of prize?" Gupta teased him by pulling just a few centimeters out of reach.

"No!" He said quickly, afraid he had offended until Gupta laughed lightly. "Don't scare me like that, Guppy." He pretended to pout.

"Oh? I scared the big man?" He placed his palms on his pecks, hovering over him now.

"Not really." He replied, hands gripping his wrists lightly before lightly ghosting up his arms, into his sleeves. "What was your intention of getting me mostly naked in our bed?"

"I just wanted to cuddle." Gupta's fears had vanished but at this moment he felt a brief flash of worry that his man would not want what he had planned.

"This is more than just cuddling." He breathed, kissing his collarbone.

"I planned a little more..." He confessed, putting a hand on his belly, steadily making his way to his boxers. "If you don't mind. I want to pay you my rent." He kissed the man below him before digging his hand into the tented fabric.

"You don't have to." He moaned. "I'll just be paying you back after." He let his knee brush the other's crotch.

"I want to..." Gupta shuddered, gripping his 'prize', finding its size to be impressive. "You're about as big as Heracles." Sadık frowned upon hearing his son's name.

"I'm not fully erect yet." He huffed.

"You aren't?" His eyes widened and he began to knead the hard member. "How big will you get?"

"We shall see, won't we? I've never gotten very hard. Not since I was your age." He could hardly believe that his innocent Gupta was acting so seductively, making his heart beat excitedly.

"Maybe I could fix that..." He murmured, exposing his erection while he gripped the base, thumb running softly against his scrotum seam.

The Turk watched the younger male play, helping his hands to learn his favorite places. Gupta pulled lightly at his foreskin curiously, watching as it slowly disappeared as Sadık's erection grew. He had never seen Heracles' foreskin do such a thing. He himself had never had one. He felt the urge to put his mouth on the other but forced himself to resist, not wanting to take a risk. He wondered if Sadık was fully erect yet and looked up, their eyes connecting. Gupta could easily see the man was holding his orgasm back and so he decided to finish it. First though, he had to memorize his girth. He had been neglecting to pay any attention to the size of his erection and was shocked to find it was larger than his ex's. He briefly pressed his lips against his shaft before stroking him to climax.

Seed splattered over his face and Gupta expected him to like the sight but instead, Sadık was shocked. He quickly reached over to grab a rag and wiped his face, apologizing. Gupta insisted it was fine and kissed him, wrapping his arms around his neck. He asked if he still planned to touch him.

"I don't know." He admitted, looking down. "I've honestly never thought about a guy sexually… I assume it's the same as masturbating." Gupta nodded. "I'll try it."

He was clearly nervous at the prospect of giving the Egyptian a hand job. He had only been on the receiving end, after all. Sadık lifted up his night shirt, fishing the other man's member out. Gupta was blushing hard, unused to someone touching him so intimately. He rested his fore arms on his lover's shoulders, spreading his knees as he got himself more comfortable. The strong hand began to stroke and pull, occasionally letting a thumb skim over the tip to borrow lubricant. It did not take much for Gupta to release, just having a hand other than his own on him was enough to get him hard.

"You don't have any cuts on your hand, do you?" They looked at the mess on Sadık's hand.

"Nah. I'll go wash it off. I think this was enough excitement for tonight." The Egyptian nodded in agreement and laid back under the covers.

~!~

Sadık had given Gupta the day off for their nightly activity but he arrived at the gas station regardless, looking for Kiku. He found him out back with Heracles, receiving a lunch from the Greek. Gupta's arrival startled them both.

"Hey Gup. Did you find out?" Heracles inquired.

"Yes." He answered with a blush. "He was bigger than you."

"By how much?" Heracles pouted.

"He's this big." He held up his hand to show the Turk's girth.

"What?" Heracles appeared to be offended. "I bet he's really short though, right?"

"No. It's a little longer than yours." He informed him.

"That's not fair." He complained.

"Why should it matter if your father's penis is bigger?" Kiku snapped, shocking the Mediterranean males.

"Kiku..?" Heracles watched his boyfriend storm inside to resume work. "What's wrong with him?" Heracles frowned.

"I have an idea but I believe it would be best for you to figure it out on your own." Gupta gave a slight smirk then blinked. "Oh and I wanted your help picking out the right condoms."

"Alright..." He moped, opening the door for him. "I think he's a large and you'll want a thick condom. Area you buying them here?"

"Yeah." He replied.

"Are you sure about that? You'll get a lot of questions. That and they're overpriced and there isn't much quantity."

"I'm surprised you know so much about something you rarely use." Gupta observed.

"To tell you the truth, I looked around back when we were together." He admitted, leading him to the gas station's door. "I know a store with all kinds of condoms."

Gupta was not too surprised to hear Heracles admit his condom search. He had been reluctant to sleep around at the beginning of their relationship but he was too active to wait for Gupta's approval on going all the way. What had surprised him was that he said it in front of his current boyfriend. However it seemed the Japanese man had not heard and out they went.

Heracles took Gupta to a drug store a few blocks from the gas station, heading straight for the items they needed. There were rows of different brands, sizes, and types. Heracles took off a pack of thick, large condoms and tossed them to Gupta to inspect. He read that they were pre lubricated and guaranteed strength. It was at that moment he realized the significance of buying lubricated condoms. He tossed it back to his ex, blushing. The Greek gave him an odd look.

"How much will it hurt to go all the way?" He bit his lip nervously.

"It will with his size and if you don't prepare yourself." He answered. "Are you not ready for it?"

"I don't think so." He admitted with a sigh. "But I want to do more."

"How about blow jobs?" Heracles plucked off another box and handed it to him. "These are flavored and thin so he'll be able to feel it and you wont taste condom. I think they only have strawberry and cherry."

"Cherry." He blurted. "And I think we should buy the big ones too in case..." He trailed, not needing to finish his statement.

"Yeah." He nodded then grabbed a tub of lubricant. "Let's head to the register."

"Why did you get lubricant?" Gupta inquired, following him to the register.

"We ran out and Kiku won't sleep with me without it."

* * *

So we finally got something 'hot' in here and it's going to get 'hotter'. Sorry for such the long wait though. I've been going through a lot. I'm quite certain my mom has Schizophrenia… I've also been writing this on my phone so let me know if you spot a spelling or grammar error. I also have not included anything that needs to be translated. I don't think they'll be all that necessary. I might include a few in some future chapters though. Thanks for all the support guys. It's not over yet.


	7. Another Step and Hurdle

Gupta returned from work early on a Friday, feeling somewhat ill. He patted Anput when she came to greet him and led her to the bedroom. Sadık normally disliked having the animals on his silky bed but often times the animals got their way and Sadık could do nothing about it. Gupta patted the bed once he was in it, calling Anput up to join him. She curled up at his feet and yawned hugely before resting her head on him and closing her eyes. He hoped his health would improve before their date night Saturday.

While the Egyptian slept, Heracles crept about the house, looking through drawers until he found the envelope he had been looking for. Once he had read it, his grip tightened before letting the envelope slap back where it had been. He retreated to his room and waited for his lover to return and help him straighten his thoughts.

~!~

"Good morning Guppy." The Turk's soft voice greeted Gupta as he awoke in the man's arms. "Are you feeling better?"

"Did I sleep through the night?" He hid his yawn behind his hand.

"Yes though you were moaning in your sleep. First it was in sadness then..." he paused, "It became rather arousing." Sadık chortled as his partner blushed.

"I do not remember the sadness." Gupta sat up, moving so he could get closer to the older man. "However the pleasure is fairly fresh in my mind." He kissed the crook of his neck then moved the larger, slightly hairy hands to rest on his lower back.

"Could you tell me about it? Or," he goosed the younger, "will you be showing me?"

"I would love to show you." He replied, kissing the hand before starting to pull at Sadık's pajama bottoms.

The Turk moved to help the younger to undress him then pulled off the Egyptian's shirt, kissing the newly exposed skin. Gupta was quivering with nervous anticipation as he grabbed his partner's erection, giving it a soft squeeze. Sadık returned the gesture and pulled the other's lips to his own. They let their tongues and hands explore, slipping into dark places. Soon they were both without clothes, taking in the sight of one another's body. Gupta was blushing mad; rarely was he seen without his clothes let alone given such a lusty look.

It had been about a month since Gupta had bought the condoms and he was somewhat eager to try them out. He just was not sure he would have the chance to mention them. Sadık was going fairly quick with the loving—rubbing and kissing all that he could, starting to slide off the last small pieces of clothing. Gupta tried to reach into the end table without breaking contact but was finding it to be rather difficult.

"H-Hold on." He panted slightly and pushed his hand against Sadık's chest.

"What's wrong?" He pulled back rather fast, his face red. "Did you change your mind?"

"No… I just need to get something." He pecked the other on the side of the mouth then leaned out of the bed, pulling out one of the thin, flavored condoms with a deep blush. "If you don't mind," he presented the wrapped rubber to the other, "can you put this on?"

"What? Now?" Sadık looked surprised then looked away. "No."

"Why not?" Gupta felt his whole body heat with embarrassment.

"We've only been dating for a few months. We can't go too far too soon." He could see a look of hurt on his young lover's face and reached out to him. "Besides, I need to find out more about it before we do it."

"I was just going to put my mouth on you." He murmured, putting his arms around the other man's midsection. "It took me time to-"

"Okay." Sadık cut him off with a kiss. "Sorry, I thought you wanted to go all the way." He blushed and pulled the wrapper off. "But I won't be able to do it to you." He admitted ashamedly. "Not yet, at least. It was hard just giving you a hand job, to be honest. I was certain I wasn't doing a good job. You were amazing though. I really loved what you did."

"I've never really done oral either." He admitted, looking away. "Now you've made me nervous about whether I would do a good job."

"I'm sure you would." He coughed into his hand, blushing. "How about we save the oral for a later date?" He put the Egyptian's head in his hands, running his thumb over his soft lips. "Learn a bit more."

"No. It's fine. I'll just work with what I know already." He looked up at the man. "Didn't your wife blow you before?"

"Not since I was a teenager." He replied with a sigh. "But I remember some of how it felt to get one."

Gupta nodded and took the condom back from Sadık, wondering how he should put it on. He felt for the lubricated side and held his lover's erection out in the open. He placed the unlubricated side on the tip and started to roll it, watching the material slide over heated skin. Once it was on, the Egyptian looked up to see the other man's reaction.

Sadık's face was flushed with arousal and embarrassment, running a hand across the condom. Once he was ready, he smiled at Gupta, leaning back on his hands. The younger kissed the tip first; he had wanted to try such an act for so long and now he could do all that he wanted with a man he cared deeply for. He parted his lips on he tip, flicking his tongue to taste the lubricant. It was not unbearable but he had been hoping for a somewhat better taste. He slid his mouth down the shaft then pulled back, glancing up to catch a reaction. His lover was somewhat tense, cheeks still red but no other sign of pleasure could be noted by Gupta.

He decided to continue the bobbing motion, trying to keep eye contact as often as possible. He seemed pleased as he heard his lover's breathing become more labored. He wondered then just how much of Sadık he could take in his throat. He pulled off, earning a look of worry accompanied by a groan of disappointment, and then repositioned himself so he was lying directly between his legs. He grabbed the base of the shaft in on hand and his scrotum in the other then once more devoured his length. He took it slow and with a look of concentration before stopping about two inches from brown pubic hair.

Sadık could hold it no longer and placed a hand on Gupta's head, instinctively pushing on it until he released. He thrust his hips a bit then settled back down, removing his hand from the other. The Egyptian pulled off quickly, swallowing air and sending a glare. However the Turk paid no mind to it, panting whilst he stared at the condom now filled with his seed. Gupta sighed and smiled, kissing Sadık deeply, forgiving the man's rough actions.

"How do we take it off without making a mess?" He inquired once their lips separated.

"I'll worry about that... you should go heat up your breakfast." The man replied with a smile, starting to remove the rubber with care.

"Will you join me?" The Egyptian left the bed with one of the blankets around his waist.

"Maybe after a shower." He held the condom up to inspect it before tying it for disposal.

"Did you like how it felt with the condom?" Gupta asked softly, pulling on a white robe.

"Yes. It was perfect, _bebek_." He left the bed, indifferent about his state of undress.

Gupta nodded, his cheeks pink as he went to the door. He went to the kitchen and found Heracles draping himself on a seemingly agitated Kiku. He looked for his food and put it in the microwave before he was noticed. The Greek said a few more hushed words to his boyfriend then went to his ex with a small smirk. Gupta ignored him, passing by to join Kiku at the counter. Heracles restrained himself no longer and leaned over that counter to speak.

"So glad you didn't suffocate back there." He teased, ignoring his lover's quiet glare.

"What..?" Gupta blushed hard, "Why would I suffocate?"

"_Gomen_, _Gupta-kun_, but it was all his idea to spy on you," murmured the Japanese man, "and _Sadık-san_. I told him not to."

"You what?" He gave an uncharacteristic shriek at this news, feeling sick with embarrassment. "Heracles! Why would you do such a naughty thing?"

"I was just looking out for you." He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "It's not so bad. We only watched a little... then we kinda got preoccupied with our own needs."

"Ew!" He clapped his hands to his ears and sunk over the counter, mortified.

"_Herakeru-kun_!" Kiku scolded his lover. "It wasn't right and it was shameful. Apologize." The only unembarrassed person stood his ground for a moment then crumbled under his lover's stern look.

"Okay, okay... I'm sorry we didn't knock, Gup. And for watching." He added and then heard the microwave sound. "Are you gonna get that?"

Gupta gave no answer, composing himself in the crook of his arm. He wished they had thought to lock the door. Of course, he never expected his ex to be so perverse as to spy on his sex life. Kiku too even watched. After a few more beeps from the microwave he gathered his remaining dignity and strode over to his food. He pulled it out with a cloth and grabbed some silverware, setting the table. He prepared to take a bite when he noticed the other two were staring.

"Aren't you gonna rinse your mouth out?"

~!~

After the spying incident, Sadık was much more strict on Heracles, threatening to kick him to the curb if he ever dared to repeat his actions. This had begun to make the rest of the household think about the future. Would the two adult couples continue living under the same roof? It had been about 3 weeks after that spying incident and the fights between Heracles and Sadık increased in heat and became more frequent. If anyone knew the reason why the Greek was lashing out more, it would be Kiku but he said nothing.

"I didn't take your wallet, old man."

"Then why is it in your pants?"

Anput, Tama, and Maskeli all cowered on the couch with Gupta and Kiku, fearing the raised voices as they sensed the anger. The Egyptian attempted to console the animals while his housemate tried to calm his lover. He would have done the same but he felt it was necessary for this issue to be addressed. He had found Sadık's wallet in a pair of Heracles' pants and tried to confront him about it. The Greek denied the accusation though so he was left with no other choice but to inform Sadık.

"Forget this. I'm going out. Come on, Gupta." The other three were shocked when Heracles grabbed his ex, dragging him out the door with Anput barking at his heels.

"Ow, ow. Calm down Heracles! What's going on?" He exclaimed.

"Not here..." He uttered. "The park."

So the Egyptian conceded, walking with the other to the park. They went to the swings and sat in silence for a long while. It made Gupta feel uncomfortable. He sighed and looked at his friend, taking his hand and kissing it. He could now see the tears and the pain. He proceeded to speak softly.

"Surely your mother still wants you to be happy." He remembered when his friend helped stop his tears when his mother died.

"Gup..." He buried his face in his shoulder. "That was before I found out how she really died."

"What do you mean?" He pulled his fingers through the wavy hair, looking at a folded paper that was thrust in his face. "What is this?"

"My mother's suicide note to that Turk." He bit the fabric of Gupta's shirt to hold in the sob. "He said he loved her. He lied."

Gupta was silent for a long while before taking the note. He unfolded it slowly, still attempting to coddle his ex. The handwriting was scrawled and written with hate and hurt. It was indeed addressed to a man with Adnan as his family name but the first name was Otto.

_Otto Adnan,_

_I hope you're happy now. You got what you wanted. You can have my body but my love always belonged to him. If you had just left things the way they were you wouldn't need to explain my death to my son. You now have no offspring of your own and never will because the guilt will close your heart. Stab me in the back and leave me to die... how cold._

_Love, Your Byzantine._

"What the heck is this?" Was all the Egyptian could say.

"Otto was my dad's nickname... Byzantine was mother's." Heracles explained. "She said he stabbed her."

"Maybe it was just a figure of speech." He doubted that Sadık could have gotten away with murder.

"You're going to take his side no matter what, aren't you?" The angered look floored the Egyptian. "You and Kiku always take his side. All because he's older!"

"What do you want me to do?" Gupta asked with a sigh.

"I want his blood."

"What?!"

"For a DNA test..." He explained. "If he's my father then I have to forgive him. If he isn't, then my mother's note holds some truth and I'll never forgive him." He reasoned.

"I don't think I'll be able to get some of his blood for that. He needs to consent to it." The Greek looked disappointed by this but his friend continued. "But I know the only man your mom slept with other than Sadık."

"Really? Who?" He pawed at the other man's clothes.

"My father. I will give a blood sample for the DNA test. If it is positive then we are brothers and Sadık is not your father." He secretly hoped that the test would be negative. "We'll go home first and calm things down, get some DNA and ship it. We'll check the results together on my next day off." He got back to his feet, kissing Heracles' forehead. "We'll sort things out."

"Thank you, Gupta." He grabbed his hand lightly then headed back home.

"Gupta! Are you okay, _bebek_?" Sadık greeted his lover with worry, giving the Greek a look that could kill.

"I'm fine. Please, calm down." He smooched the older man, smiling up at him. "There was just a misunderstanding. He just found something in your wallet that upset him." He slipped the Turk the suicide note.

"Oh." A look of grim understanding befell his face and he looked to his son; he was looking hard at the wall. "Come with me, Guppy..." He led his lover to their room, closing the door behind them. "I guess you want some explanations." He went to his bedside drawer, bringing out a fairly large box that had been buried under junk. "What would you like to know first?"

"She mentioned a stabbing, Sadık." His tone was fretful. "And her note made little sense."

"She was pretty heavily medicated after your father stopped seeing her. I'm not sure what made her start to slip away. Knowing about her affair though, I assume it was probably an STD." He pulled the other to him. "Helena blamed your mother and I for ruining her love life. I sort of lost interest in her after her affair came to light too. I was far too concerned with your mother's worsening illness."

"Because that bastard left us too." Gupta murmured. "But you haven't explained the stabbing."

"I don't want to get into the details..." Sadık murmured against the other man's hair. "I am not a perfect man. I was a less perfect young man. We were in Cyprus a few years after Heracles was born and she had done something unforgivable. I lost my temper and grabbed one of my decorative swords at the summer house... I only meant to scare her but I pierced her while her back was turned. I felt disgusted with myself for it and tended to her wounds with your mother's help. Her illness was still undiscovered..."

"So it was a while ago." Gupta desperately wanted to know more about what had caused this man he admired to lose his temper. "What really killed her?"

"She took her own life with one of my own blades while I was in the hospital with your mother. That was why Heracles always blamed me. He believed I could have stopped her." The man now trembled as regret and sadness overtook him, filling his eyes with tears.

"Shh, there's nothing you could have done." He breathed softly, pulling the other man's head to his chest while he pet him, even petting the double curl at the nape of the neck. "I do not think less of you after hearing this." He pulled him into a kiss. "Now how about we lock the door so I can cheer you up."

"Alright." He sat up, breathing in deep before giving a small smile. "But blowjobs aren't what cheer me up. You cheer me up."

"I am glad to hear that, _habibi_." He returned the smile, locking their bedroom door.

~!~

Gupta smiled down at his sleeping lover and gave him a final kiss before leaving the bed. He pulled on his robe and searched for Heracles. He heard the moans shortly before he saw them. They must have been watching a movie when the Greek decided to start a passionate lovemaking with his lover. Right on Gupta's favorite seat. He watched them for a moment out of curiosity and a desire to have what they were having. He had never seen such an uncomposed look on the Japanese man's face as the Greek thrust with a look of serious love and concentration. He felt his heart ache and cleared his throat loudly.

"Could you please not ruin the furniture?" The lovers' faces quickly turned to expressions Gupta was used to seeing; embarrassment and sluggish happiness.

"Could we finish first?" Heracles whined as his lover pulled away, throwing his robe tighter around his body.

"If you want uninterrupted sex then have it in your own place." He huffed, crossing his arms. "Now are we going to take some samples or no?"

"Samples for what? The oldest man managed to ask, trying to fix his hair.

"A DNA test. We wanted to see if we're brothers." Heracles answered, smoothing the hair for him. "Cause Gupta thinks my mom slept with his dad."

"Really?" Kiku looked between the two. "That would be unfortunate since you two dated."

"So should we do a cheek swab or a hair sample? I am not using blood." Gupta proposed to the Greek.

"I think hair samples are fine." He replied. "I'll take them to a clinic when we have them."

"And the results will be found next time I'm off." Gupta smiled and then went to shave, grateful for the opportunity to return to his former grooming habbits.

~!~

"Gupta, we need to go to the grocery store today." Sadık walked back into their bedroom from the bathroom, wearing casual clothes.

"Can it wait? I already made plans today." His partner was putting on his own casual attire, hands shaking from nerves as today was the day he would get the results.

"Fine. We'll go at four." He could see his love's unease and gave him a kiss. "I'll just check on the station. Need anything?"

"Dog treats for Anput."

The Turk nodded then left, getting into his van. Heracles came up from his bedroom then, waiting in the kitchen for Gupta. They shared a breakfast when the Egyptian came, neither one saying a word. Once their plates were in the sink and Gupta had taken his pills, they left. The clinic was not quite within an average person's walking distance but both were used to not having a ride. The receptionist greeted them with a smile and had them take a seat while the results were retrieved.

"Here you go." She smiled, handing the folder to Heracles.

"Open it..." Gupta murmured, looking over his shoulder.

The Greek nodded and pulled open the file, bringing out the result paper. They stared at it for a long while, looking for something they could make sense of. At last they saw the end result, looking much bigger as they read.

"Looks like I'm moving out, brother."

* * *

I'm back, lovelies. Hopefully long enough to finish this story, ja? I just spent a lovely weekend with a Greek family. I have never eaten so much in my life. xD Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one.

Advertisement:

TURGYPT LOVERS:

My loverly wrote a Turgypt MPreg, if you're into that then keep an eye out for it. It's a fluffy oneshot. Nice break from long fics like this, yeah?

GREEK/CULTURE/HISTORY BUFFS:

Also, if you're able to, go ahead and look for a book called "Greek Fire" by Maria Tsiaklides. She's my friend that I spent the weekend with. The book is historical fiction. Amazon has some copies. Paperback, hardback, and eReader formats.


	8. Parting is Such Sweet Sex

Gupta trailed after Sadık inside the store, paying little attention to what was put in their cart. He was feeling ill after learning he had dated his half brother. He prayed for forgiveness when he got home and again before going to the store. Sadık knew something was troubling his son and his lover but something made him fear asking. They went to the freezer section and decided to get something they rarely ate–ice cream.

"Strawberry?" Gupta shrugged as an answer. "Maybe one with three flavors..." Gupta nodded. "Guppy, ya gotta talk to me. Did I upset you or something?"

"No." He replied, patting the man's arm. "I just have a lot on my mind."

He gave a small smile and they left for the registers. His friend and former coworker rang them out with a smile. He made plans to visit the couple in the future to catch up. After they loaded the van with groceries they went to the gas station to fix and check the schedule. An intimidating Russian man met them at the door with a childish smile. Sadık recognized the man and hurried past, finding Kiku in an argument with a Chinese man.

"I'm not moving back in. I'm perfectly fine living with Adnan-san." Kiku sounded angry for once, trying to stock the shelves.

"But that house is small and Mr. Adnan has an ungrateful, worthless son and another that's dying. He doesn't need to take care of you too."

"Who's dying?" Sadık interrupted the fight, placing a firm hand on Yao's shoulder. "You two shouldn't cause trouble in my station."

"_Gomenasai_." Kiku apologized. "I told him I didn't want to talk."

"He's your brother, Kiku. I would have been fine with you taking an extra break to talk things out." He chastised while Gupta waited nearby, quietly observing. "As for you, Mr. Wang, I don't like having my employees troubled. Also, Kiku is no trouble to me and Heracles is still my son and he does what he needs to do." Gupta's heart felt a pang at that, thinking of his brother and what he had planned.

"And Gupta isn't dying, brother." Kiku added. "He's right here and healthy. He's also in a relationship."

"Oh?" Yao looked at the quiet man that was sending Kiku a look. "I'm glad to hear that. Unless it's still the Greek."

"Heracles is my boyfriend now." The Japanese man grumbled.

"That's what you said when he was still with Gupta." The Russian shouted from the doorway.

"Who I am dating is none of your-"

"Gupta is my lover now. He's in much better hands, Yao." Sadık assured him.

"Oh..." The Chinese man fell silent then gave one last look at his brother before leaving.

~!~

Gupta kept silent about the DNA test and Heracles was rarely in the house. Kiku was keeping his silence about his lover but it was obvious something bothered him. Sadık disliked the tension coming off the two slender men in his house. There was something big about to go down and he was in the dark. He needed to at least get Gupta to tell him something and pondered on the best way to do. He looked at their movies for a bit.

"Is something wrong?" Gupta came in from work, watching his lover standing over their movie selection.

"I just realized that we've seen all of these movies."

"Oh?" Gupta set down his shoulder bag. "I like our movies."

"But I'm tired of watching them." Sadık grinned. "Let's go to the movie store."

Gupta rolled his eyes and gave a small smile. He went to change out of his work clothes and went back to the older man. They got into the van and Sadık drove to the local movie store. The building was fairly empty when they came in. No one was behind the counter, probably in the back. They went to an older section first, Sadık recognizing a few of the titles. The couple soon noticed a foreign film aisle.

Gupta dragged him towards it. Their movies from the Mediterranean area were slim and mostly Italian. Sadık recognized a few Asian films that Kiku had introduced him to. Gupta took a black and white movie off the shelf, reading the back. He put it back, finding it to be uninteresting. He returned to the old videos and chose a silent film with Arabic influence. The last section the visited was near the children's movies.

Gupta paused, seeing a child pulling movies off shelves, hoping his mom would buy them for him. He frowned and grabbed his lover's arm, returning his attention to the documentaries. They grabbed one and went to the abandons register. Sadık grabbed some snacks just before the cashier came.

"Ready to check out?" A tired voice inquired.

"Heracles?"

"What?" He frowned, looking at the two. "Why are you guys here..?"

"We ran out of movies." The Turk said as though it were obvious. "Why are you here?"

"I work here." He scoffed. "You always tell me to get a job so I did. So who's paying?"

"I'll pay." The Turk grinned, pulling out his wallet. "Looks like you'll finally stop mooching off me for date money. So I have plenty to spare."

"Shut up." Heracles uttered, putting their movies in a bag. "That'll be $25."

~!~

The couple returned home with their new movies just as Kiku was about to leave in a traditional Japanese garb. He briefly explained he was going to his brother's party and left. The couple would have the house to themselves. Sadık went to the kitchen, making falafel balls while Gupta set up the movie. He also changed into something he would not wear outside the house. After taking his pills and grabbing an extra condom he went back to the living room.

"You look very lovely in that." Sadık smirked, putting the plate on the coffee table. "Who bought it for you?"

"Kiku." Gupta smiled and kissed him deeply. "Now sit down so we can start the movie and something else."

"I'm glad you're already feeling better. You've been looking troubled by something." He slid onto the couch, pulling the other onto his lap in the same motion.

"I love you." They whispered, coming together for another kiss, playing the movie.

After finishing the movie and eating, they started to kiss again. Sadık made the first bold move, pulling his partner's member from his shorts. He stroked it softly and rubbed the tip with his thumb, squeezing the tip with his other fingers. Gupta, not to be outdone, reached over to do the same for him. They mimicked each other's caresses and groping. Sadık unbuttoned the vest Gupta had donned, kissing his chest with a small smirk. The Egyptian stopped his movements, the seductive look stunning him. The older man stopped at his navel, grabbing the condom from the end table.

"I promised you, didn't I?" He answered the unvoiced question.

"A-Are you sure?" The young man flushed, holding his erection while his partner rolled the condom on.

"Very sure." He nodded, "You've done it plenty of times now. This is our last condom."

Gupta gave a nod and leaned back on the opposite arm of the couch. The Turk stuck his tongue out, tasting the lubricant. He pulled a face and his partner felt apologetic. He pressed on, licking the shaft, close to his scrotum. He was clean shaved which made it easier for the man to go down. He licked back up to the tip, sucking it into his mouth. Gupta was so unused to the feel that he was already close to releasing. He kept his arms curled to his chest, lifting his hips to thrust into the man's mouth.

Sadık welcomed it, his mouth open to accept as much as his partner wanted. He was surprised when his tip pressed against his uvula, gagging and pulling off. Gupta apologized and kissed him once before easing him back down with a smirk.

"Finish the job, love." He rubbed his tip on the man's lips, feeling in control for a change.

"Alright master." Sadık teased, bringing him back into his mouth.

He started a slight bobbing motion, staring up at his lover when he could. The younger man was moaning softly, running his hand through short hair, tangling the double curl around his finger. He felt aggravated by the mask though, removing it to gaze into his lover's honey eyes. He bit his lip then groaned, signaling his release.

"That was really good." He panted, hugging his man.

"Yeah. Though I didn't like that flavor." He complained.

"You pick the next box of condoms then." Gupta smiled, kissing the corner of his lips.

"I will. Probably flavorless."

"Okay, love."

~!~

Months went by and the day finally came when Heracles announced he was leaving. He had packed up Kiku's car with all their things and waited for his 'father' and ex to return home from work. He would have preferred just saying good bye to Gupta but the Turk was almost always at his side these days. Especially since they had a scare—the Egyptian had a seizure and they were still waiting to find out if there was any underlying cause. Heracles sighed heavily, his cat, Larry, was in his arms and the few stray cats hanging around were around his feet.

"Hey Jerkules, what are you doing outside?" Sadık pulled in and got out of his van. "Forget your keys again?"

"No." He answered, holding the keys out to the older man. "You can have these back though."

"What? Why?" The Turk finally looked to Kiku waiting in his packed car, not meeting his eyes. "What's going on? Where are you going?"

"We're moving out. We bought a small house…" He grabbed Sadık's hand, opening the clenched fist to put the keys in his palm. "I won't be back."

"Where did you get the money for a house?"

"I've been working a lot of jobs… and Kiku's been doing favors for his brother's money."

"Brother, could you at least visit us?" Gupta made it to his lover's side. "I will miss you and so will Sadık—even if he doesn't seem like he would."

"I don't think so… I've lingered here too long." He embraced his brother. "Take care and my door will always be open for you."

"Wait, did you say brother?" Sadık looked at the Egyptian.

"Yes, we had a DNA test some months ago. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Heracles wasn't ready and I don't think I was either." Gupta looked down, feeling guilt.

"So you aren't my son after all." The older man sighed, his heart heavy as he looked at the boy he had raised as his own. "Fine. Get the hell out of here and don't show your face to me ever again."

"Sadık!"

Gupta protested but his brother just nodded in agreement, getting into his car. The couple watched them leave, still staring long after they turned a corner. Finally the Turk turned, going into the house, slamming the door behind him. Gupta cringed and looked at the front door, still outside, unsure if he should follow. He locked the van doors to stall for time and then closed the yard's gate, looking back at the front porch. He heard his dog yelp and hurried inside.

Anput was in a corner of the living room with Maskeli while sounds of a tantrum sounded in Heracles' old room. The Egyptian bit his lip and grabbed his dog's leash. He wrote a quick note for the man and then left with his dog; Maskeli even trailed behind them. He knew it was best to let Sadık vent his anger, not because he was afraid, but because he somewhat understood how he was feeling. Gupta had wanted to throw tantrums before but never dared to which tore him up inside.

He returned to the house after a once around the block. He unhooked Anput once he was in and worried when he heard nothing from the house. It was eerily quiet but he would not think of anything bad happening. He went to the hall and saw a few broken photo frames. He stepped carefully over the broken glass and then gently rapped his knuckles on his bedroom door. He didn't get a response so he opened the door, finding his lover on their bed in a position he never would have been able to picture him to be in.

"Sadık…" He spoke softly. "Are you mad at me?"

"No." He managed to say without a break in his voice.

Gupta nodded then and went to the bed, leaning over the man in a fetal position. He rubbed his back under his shirt and pressed his lips to his exposed temple. He tried to get him to relax and uncurl himself. He huffed slightly and smacked the man's hairy arm. The Turk whined and looked up at him, his eyes misted with tears. The sight made Gupta's chest hurt and he laid next to his man, nudging and nuzzling against him until he instinctively wrapped the smaller man in his arms.

The young man rubbed his lover's chest, sometimes tugging at his chest hair before starting to lay butterfly kisses on his neck while he kissed his collarbone. The old man was still disturbed but he appreciated the companionship, staring into his eyes. They came together for a loving kiss then readjusted one another until they could fall into a comfortable slumber.

The couple awoke only a few hours later and Gupta found the other was still in deep and saddened thought. He hated that expression on the cheerful man's face and pulled his chin down so he could kiss without much movement on his part. He gained the opposite result desired, having Sadık pull away when the kiss ended. The other allowed him to pull away, trying not to express his hurt. The Turk got out of the bed and went to the bathroom, leaving the door open as he did his business. Gupta blushed and was caught staring—Sadık smirked at that and washed his hands before pulling off his clothes.

"You know what would cheer me up?"

"What? I'll give you anything."

"You." He got on his knees on the bed and pulled the other man up, undressing him. "If you'll let me have you."

"Of course…" He murmured, brushing his lips against his cheek and temple. "But only if you think we're ready."

"I think we are." He kissed him deeply and started to stroke him. "I've been planning this for a while now, actually." He frowned briefly. "I'm sorry it won't be as romantic as I had originally planned."

"You're all the romance I need." Gupta smiled and grabbed his partner. "Just promise to love me forever."

"Of course, _bebek_." Sadık returned the smile, reaching behind and into his drawers to grab what they would need. "I bought lubricated heavy duty condoms but since this is your first time I also got extra lube." He showed him the bottle. "It's specifically for anal."

Hearing the word voiced made Gupta blush, finally having the weight of what they were about to do come crashing down. He felt aroused and frightened but he knew that his more experienced lover would be gentle on him. He was grateful for the lubricant—he had heard from a few of his coworkers that dry would be an unbearable pain. He looked at his lover's fingers as the somewhat thick gel was spread across them. Gupta bit his lip and wondered what he should do.

"Go ahead and lay down."

The Egyptian obeyed and lay on his back, lifting his hips when his lover put a pillow under him. He did not want to spread his legs too much, afraid it would look too whorish so he kept them loosely closed, letting the older man spread them as much as he needed. He sat up on his elbows to see better, watching as Sadık's large fingers smeared some of the lubricant around his entrance. He glanced up at his face and saw that he was blushing with a concentrated look. He added a little more of the lubricant as the previous was transferred to his partner.

"If it helps you relax, then look away." He advised, rubbing his finger on his clenched muscle, massaging it by applying occasional pressure.

"I want to watch." He panted a little, enjoying the stimulation more than he probably should have. "I'm more than relaxed." He assured the man, trying a smile.

Sadık nodded then, pressing his finger inside, fighting the muscles that tried removing the foreign invader. He went fairly fast and stopped when the lubricant ended at his middle knuckle. He added more lube to the finger then pushed it in all the way. Gupta groaned and clenched around the finger, regretting that decision a bit; he relaxed once more and pulled Sadık down for a kiss. Their tongues met and they groaned together. The Turk had his second finger already lube up and pressed it next to the first, wiggling until he could get both tips into his smaller lover.

"This is going to be a tight squeeze." He breathed, pressing his palm to the other man's scrotum.

"I can be patient if you can." Gupta replied, bringing a leg down so he could press it against his partner's erection. "Or I could help you now and again once you've stretched me."

"We'll see how this plays out, hm?" He chuckled a bit, moving his fingers in and out before starting to scissor them. "We might not even get to go all the way tonight."

"But I want to… Even if I can't walk tomorrow." He said, his face a bright red.

"Mm. You're not sounding like yourself. I like that." He murmured, trying to get his fingers in deeper. "Maybe we can master our bedroom talk."

"Not likely. I think I prefer quiet lovemaking."

"You don't know until you try." He managed to slip in a third finger, unknown to the receiver.

Gupta looked from the fingers inside him to the erection against his leg. He hoped that he would stretch well enough for them to both get pleasure. He was already extremely aroused from how the lubricant alone was making his insides tingle. He watched as his lover twisted his hand around, making sure that he was ready before pulling them out. He tried not to think too much on what might be on his fingers, hurrying to the bathroom to wash his hands and put his condom on. The Egyptian grew impatient rather quickly though, sliding his own hand down to try to keep his hole stretched.

Sadık smirked at that and came to the bed, watching him for a moment while he added some extra lubricant to his covered erection. He pulled the fingers out and wiped them off with the rag he brought from the bathroom. Gupta looked disappointed at that, hoping to have been able to taste but he supposed that would have been as unhealthy as it was gross. He was jarred from his thoughts when two large, rough hands pushing his knees to his chest. Gupta blinked and tilted his head in a fashion that made his partner's erection twitch.

"We're going to do missionary. Need your legs out of the way." Sadık explained with a chuckle, positioning himself to support his weight while still having as much contact with the other as possible. "You ready for this?"

"As ready as I can hope to be."

Sadık kissed the younger man as he pressed his tip against his stretched hole. Using his hand he started to ease his shaft in, watching it sink in to the warm cavern of his lover. Gupta groaned and reached back to clench the pillows under his head. Sadık shimmied his shoulders under the other man's calves, penetrating him as deep as his member could bury itself. The Egyptian scowled at having his legs stretched uncomfortably and against his will. He squirmed and moved his legs to relax on Sadık's lower back.

"I'm not that flexible." He complained.

"Sorry." His lover apologized sheepishly. "Is your ass feeling OK though?"

After receiving a nod the man moved back some, withdrawing his shaft partially from his lover before thrusting it back in with care. Gupta gave a grunt and pulled his arms over his head again, this time grabbing his hands rather than the pillow. The older man started up a rhythm and, once it was established, he trailed kisses along the olive torso and neck of the thin ma below him. He thrust a little deeper, capturing the other man's soft lips with his roughened mouth. They moaned simultaneously and parted their lips so they could breathe while exchanging saliva. Gupta's was finally experiencing love in its rawest form while Sadık felt an old experience with tenfold better the pleasure as before. He finally had the satisfaction of a tight lover rather than a loose baby maker.

He could feel his partner's member ache with need against his abdomen and pressed down on it as he thrust, placing his lips on erected nipples. Gupta gasped suddenly, his lower muscles dancing as he released on their skin. He clung to his lover and the other held him, releasing into the condom as he plunged deep as the other's body allowed. They trembled together for a bit, coming down from their release of pent up tension and slowly-reluctantly-pulled away, staring into one another's eyes.

"I love you." Gupta managed to gasp.

"I... love you... too." Sadık wheezed, straightening his back as he pulled out. "It was better than I dreamed it to be."

Gupta smiled at him a moment before trying to sit up to check the condom. He winced as an uncomfortable pain shot up his backside. Sadık noticed and apologized, holding Gupta for a moment. The younger man, lulled by the warmth and lusty scent of his lover, closed his eyes and fell asleep, smiling. The Turk sighed and carefully lay down, using the arm not around Gupta to pull off his rubber. He did not think it was possible to release the amount of semen he found within. He carefully tied it off and put it in the trash, setting his alarm for a shower before work.

~!~

"Mm... we should shower together more often." Sadık murmured to his lover under the pelting of water, nibbling the shell of his ear.

"I don't know." The other shivered, trying to keep their hips away from each other. "I don't like this risk."

"Guppy, we aren't gonna do it." The older man pouted. "Besides, I used to take baths with you in my lap when you were a baby." Gupta whirled to face the man, his face deep red.

"W-What?"

"Whoa, calm down Guppy. It was nothing sexual. It was just a really small tub and hot water was expensive. Your mother kept an eye on us. But my point was that it should be fine so long as we're not touching tips."

"... Maybe a washcloth between us?"

"If it will make you feel better." The older man chuckled, letting the wet cloth cling itself to his crotch.

"Much." He stifled a giggle and moved closer to the other, still feeling sore from their nightly activity. "What time do I have to be at work..?"

"You can have the day off." Sadık answered, lathering soap on his shoulders.

"No, I want to help you… I mean, isn't Kiku going to quit?" Gupta inquired.

"I hope he doesn't. I'm not mad at him." Sadık sighed sadly and rubbed soapy hands around his lover's lower back. "He was a fantastic manager."

Gupta shuddered pleasurably at the unintended massage, eager to return the favor. After they had cleaned each other they stepped out, drying themselves off with towels and then dressed. Sadık scuffed his partner's hair, earning a half-hearted scowl. He replaced the mask onto his face and went to grab his nametag and make breakfast. Gupta took his pills and put in his earring, following the other man into the kitchen. His slow walk and slight limp did not go unnoticed by the older man however he knew of the man's stubbornness so said nothing.

"I'm just making something simple or we'll be late." Sadık stated, pulling out a loaf of French bread. "Spanish Tomato Toast sound good?"

"Sure." The other did not care much for tomatoes but anything made by his lover could be compared to ambrosia. "I'm going to start the car though." He took the keys from the hook and went out to the van.

Sadık came with his toast and handed a plate to Gupta before backing out of the driveway, his own toast shoved in his mouth. The Egyptian laughed at the sight of tomato juices dripping down his chin, caught up in the stubble of his beard. When they pulled into the parking lot, the younger leaned over for a kiss and then started cleaning him with his tongue. He had even gotten into the driver's lap and that is how an employee found them.

"I see you two are doing better now that we've moved out." Kiku blushed.

"I was just cleaning him." Gupta replied, returning to his seat before opening his door. "So you two didn't move too far?"

"We just moved to my brother's vacation home. Heracles is going to be paying rent." He opened the door for his boss. "I'll be paying for other things. I just thought you would like to know."

"I don't care what happens to that Greek." Sadık snapped. "But I'm glad you are happy, Kiku."

* * *

:3 I took too long with the end of this chapter. I've been so damn busy. xD But I'll be graduating from school May 10TH so I'll have some more free time soon… I hope not though cause I need a job… and money.


	9. Mother and Child

It had been roughly a year since Heracles and Kiku had moved out of the Adnan household. On this Saturday morning, the house was eerily silent and only Maskeli wandered about, oblivious to the atmosphere. Anput lay at her master's feet in the bed, suppressing whimpers of worry.

"Gupta, I really think I should take you to the hospital. Your fever is really high." Sadık fretted over his lover, trying every method he knew to combat illness.

"It's just a cold." Gupta mumbled, "Stupid customer probably gave it to me." He referred to a woman who had come in with a sick toddler on her hip.

"I'm sorry _bebek_." The older man continued wetting the Egyptian's head. "Is there anything I can do for ya that I haven't done yet...?"

"I don't know if I can keep it down... but can you cook something that smells good?"

To that request the Turkish man eagerly got up for the kitchen. Sadık had a feeling the other man's request was for his own need instead. Since Gupta had started feeling unwell he had cared only for him, forgetting to eat in his panic. He even neglected to call his gas station to inform the employees neither of them would be coming in. He started cooking and Gupta was already being lured to heaven by the auromas...

~!~

"Gupta, what are you doing here?" A woman's voice soothed the Egyptian.

"Mother." He embraced the white robed and gold-adorned woman with tears in his eyes.

"What have I told you about visiting me before your time?" She scolded.

"I don't have any control of my illness." He replied through tears.

"I know _habibi_." She kissed his head. "I also noticed you are having relations with Sadık."

"I'm sorry." Gupta apologized. "But I couldn't find a girl that I loved."

"You dated your brother too." She appeared to be disappointed.

"We didn't really do much." He mumbled, face pink.

"You can't have children with men." Her body fizzed a bit.

"I don't need children." Gupta found it hard to look at her.

"But you want them. Would he be willing to adopt? He's far too old to start another family."

"Yeah." Gupta murmured and felt his head get cloudier. "You know so much."

"I only know what you know, _habibi_. Though I wish I could tell you my own knowledge about him." Her voice faded and the world went black for a moment.

"Gupta, you awake yet?" A tired yet relieved voice sounded from the foot of the bed. "I chased the Turk out for now." The ill Egyptian went to rub his eyes, wincing as wires tugged him.

"Why did you make him leave, Heracles?" He whined, mouth dry.

"He's been here for a whole week waiting for you to get better. Kiku and I insisted he get some air and a shower." Heracles stretched. "I'll call Kiku and tell him you're awake. Do you want anything?"

"Just Sadık. Maybe a stuffed dog or baby doll." Gupta smiled a little. "No one brought gifts?"

"Actually, you have a lot of gifts. We had to take some of them home though. The nurse was getting ticked off."

"Who would bring me gifts?" He looked around the room in bewilderment.

"Your coworkers." He replied, handing Gupta a stuffed animal attached to a balloon. "Mostly they're from just Alfred, Kiku, and myself."

"I'll have to thank them." He smiled and pulled at some of the animal's artificial fur. "Is Anput well?"

"She's been whining for you."

"I hope she didn't aggravate Sadık."

"Sadık hasn't been home yet. Lovino has been feeding the animals with the Spaniard's supervision."

"Who threatened Lovino?" Gupta glanced at the clock, hoping to see a date as well.

"His brother."

Gupta laughed, picturing the little Italian threatening his older brother. The two half-brothers spent a few minutes in silence until the Egyptian could ask about what else happened while he was out. Kiku had been running the gas station so Heracles complained about how lonely he had been until there was a knock on the door. Kiku came in quietly and greeted Gupta, a tray in his hands. He set the tray on the table and smiled politely, pouring a pitcher of ice water into a cup for the patient.

"_Shukrān_ Kiku." He smiled and slowly drank, appreciative of the refreshment. "Anything new that Heracles left out?"

"Depends. Did he mention he's going to college?" Gupta did a spit-take at that to avoid choking in shock. "He is going to become a Philosophy major. He hasn't decided yet where to go after but he has time." The Japanese man was unfazed.

"But the money for it..?" He questioned, looking at his formerly unemployed ex.

"I've got a real job now. Yao's really taken a liking to me I guess and his lover gave me a job at their zoo with the big cats." Heracles explained. "It pays well and I don't have to pay rent anymore. The house is ours now."

"Gupta, Ninad-san has been visiting you too. He usually comes around this hour but I am unfamiliar with him." Kiku informed the Egyptian.

"He is an old coworker." Gupta looked at the wires. "Have the doctors said when I could be released? I'd like to be on my way soon. This place is depressing."

"Most likely later tonight if you can stomach something."

"Just give me Sadık's cooking and I could fill my belly til it bursts." He smiled.

"He should be here soon with your lunch. You missed breakfast." Kiku replaced flowers in one of the leftover vases.

"Hey Guppy," the door opened as the man of the hour stepped in, "hope you want some falafel."

"I'd love some." He wanted a hug more than food but refrained from making mention, aware of the situation he was in-the wires limited his movements. "I see you even made Ashure."

"Mmhm." Sadık smiled and took Kiku's place at Gupta's bedside, putting the food down. "I figured you'd share my favorite dessert with me." He kissed his forehead and let out a sigh of relief. "Your fever's gone."

"Yes but I think I'll still need help with eating. These wires are short and pointless." He smiled and tugged on one.

"Doctor said it was necessary. You really weren't doing well. Hell, I nearly pissed myself when the monitor would change its tune." He admitted with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry for scaring you." Gupta placed his hand on his lover's. "But I will be fine."

The Turk nodded and then squeezed the hand before spearing one of the falafel balls he had made. He held it up to his partner's mouth and glanced at the couple behind them. He motioned to the door and they left. Now the two could dine together in peace until there was nothing more to eat. Sadık wiped a bit of Ashure from Gupta's chin just as the nurse and doctor came in. They talked about leaving the hospital and got a time in which he would be discharged. The unhooked their patient from the machines after giving him a final checkup and then left.

"I dreamed of my mother." Gupta murmured, glancing a bit shyly at the older man. "We talked about… things."

"Ah… Was she mad with me?" It seemed the thought of Gupta's mother disapproving of their relationship had been on the man's mind before.

"I don't think she was mad… disappointed that I dated my half-brother and upset that I can't bring her children." He sighed, "I know it's possible for a woman to have my kid and the kid won't get HIV but I'd rather not take a risk."

"So you do want a woman." Sadık gave a slight smirk as the young man shook his head and embraced him. "Women are overrated. There are plenty of children out there that need homes."

"You're silly." Gupta let out a light laugh and kisses his scratchy cheek. "She had also said something that made me laugh if I could have." He waited for him to tilt his head before proceeding, "She said you're too old to start a new family."

"Seems like something she would say." He laughed and then sighed, "Your mother would always pick on me about the way I would talk and act. I was the youngest in our friend group but was the most mature."

"Sadık, she was just a figment of my imagination. It was really my opinion." He blushed in shame.

"Nah, it wasn't all you, Guppy. Trust me." He faltered a bit as the Egyptian stared at him. "Oh. You're trying to tell me something."

"Are you too old for a family?" He mumbled the question but it was still heard.

"I'm still fertile ya know. However, having a kid now does seem kinda pointless for me. I probably won't be around to see it grow up." He looked at Gupta's face which gave nothing away. "I'm over the hill, kiddo. I've had a wife and I've had kids."

"No you haven't." He interrupted him. "Heracles isn't yours."

"Still, Gupta… I'm over forty now."

"You are a healthy forty. You can have a child." He pointed out.

"You want me to find a woman and leave you?" The Turk scowled.

"No!" Gupta blushed at his own outburst, "No. There's adoption to consider."

"Adoption…" The man murmured and then looked at his young lover. "You think we are ready for a child after only two years?"

"Life is short and I am confident we can do it." He reminded him gently. "We still have time to consider things though."

"Yeah. That seems best so let's go home. Your baby girl misses you." He got up from the seat and took the thin hand in his, helping him up.

They left the hospital with the last of Gupta's gifts and things. There were already some cars at the house when they arrived and both knew what to expect and who was responsible. The door was unlocked and when they entered the lights came on and a party was in wait. The couple was not in much of a partying mood after their discussion but attempted a smile and thanks. A pile of gifts was in the corner of the living room where Anput was sniffing them eagerly.

"Welcome back, Gupta" greeted the Egyptian from the people attending.

"Thank you very much for this party, Alfred." He thanked the American once he found him, sitting on the armchair. "May I sit in my favorite seat though?"

"Sure thing. Hey, hey, what happened to you anyways? Did you get beat up or hit by a car?"

"Oh, no one told you?" Gupta blinked and looked at the others, surprised to find his nephew Lovino was there.

"Nope." He replied. "Just said you were really sick." Lovino made his way over while America was talking.

"Hello Lovino and thank you for looking after Anput." The dog barked as she heard her name, trotting over. "And not telling everyone."

"He told everyone but Alfred-kun, Gupta-kun." Kiku stood beside the Italian.

"What?" He felt sick.

"Don't worry, _zio_." Feliciano popped up. "We all still love you or else they wouldn't have come with all these presents!" He motioned eagerly to aforementioned pile.

"Speaking of…" he smiled, "When can I open them?"

"Right after we eat." Alfred was already eating though.

Gupta laughed and nodded, enjoying the party as well as he could. Arthur had brought along his sons and husbands-the Frenchman had prepared the buffet that was on the counter with help from Feliciano. There were a few decorations too, courtesy Feliciano and Alfred. A video game system was hooked up to the television which Kiku was playing, acting rather unlike himself when faced with a victory. His Greek lover had long since given up on trying to get his attention or beat him and tossed the controller to Alfred before going to Gupta. They sat on the couch alone as Sadık kept the party in order and the guests entertained with stories, even bringing out some hidden alcohol.

"I have a favor to ask you…" Heracles sighed.

"Haven't I done enough?" His brother frowned, "What is it?"

"Well… Kiku's family is having a reunion in two weeks and they wanted me to bring mine since I'm dating Kiku." He explained. "Sadık will come too."

"Alright. If he comes, I will go. What should I wear?"

"Traditional Egyptian garb." He replied rather quickly.  
"What? Why?" He stuttered.

"That's their reunion. Their family comes dressed in their birth country's cultural attire. I'm going to be wearing a costume my mom bought Sadık way back when they lived in Europe." He pulled out his cell phone, showing the outfit.

"I don't know if I have anything like that here that would fit." He murmured, trying to think.

"There's that costume Sadık got you last year." He pointed out.

"For _raqs sharqi_?" He blushed. "I don't think it would be appropriate for that and that costume is for _Turkish_ _women_."

"Don't you have any in Egyptian style?" He inquired. "And a female style would be fine."

"No. Sadık says all the things I was supposed to get in the will are lost. He even searched her house in Cairo."

"Maybe dad took the things, thinking they were his." He suggested. "If that's the case then you should ask the Vargas brothers."

"I'll ask Feliciano." He resigned and stood, "If I can't find out about the attire then I will make something. Feliciano, could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure!" He chirped. "What's up?"

"Do you still have some of your grandpa's things? I need to know if he took anything of my mother's."

"Ve… I don't know. I only kept his art stuff and I gave his old war stuff to Ludy. Are you looking for anything in particular?" He tilted his head.

"Outfits." He replied.

"Oh. Oh…" He looked away. "You'd have to ask Lovi. He took most of _nono's_ clothes and got everything Ludy and I didn't want but we do have the house in Rome if you want to search there."

"No, it's fine. I'll just have to ask Lovino." He fretted. "Thanks though."

He left the younger brother to search for the elder but found him missing from the living room. He would have asked Sadık about it but the man was following Emil around like a drunken puppy. He would inquire about that after locating his nephew, trusting his man not to commit adultery with a teenager. He left the living room, going through the hallway where the bedrooms were. Heracles' room was locked so he knocked on the door, ignoring the curses inside. He would be holding the alcohol key in the future-this party was a drunken nightmare.

"Oh. What do you want, _zio puttana_?" He slurred a bit, dressed in only his tomato boxers.

"I want to look through my father's belongings to see if he has my mom's outfits."

"_Che palle_…" He grumbled. "Why should I?"

"Because I'm your uncle and you're not as much of a dick as you appear." He looked down at his boxers.

"Ay! That better not be an insult on my size."

"You said it, not me."

"_Che palle_! Fine. Meet me at the restaurant tomorrow at ten."

"Okay. In return, feel free to use my sex toys." Admittedly, Gupta held a bit of a grudge still. "They're in the top drawer."

"Gross! Antonio, don't touch those!" The look of panic made the Egyptian sigh.

"Relax, I don't use those things. They are Heracles'." He left then, going to his lover's side.

"Sonny's in love~ _Aşk._" He was poking a very aggravated Emil's cheek. "Tell me who~ _Söyle bana_. _Söyle bana~!_"

"Sadık, stop harassing the child." Gupta sat, tugging the curl as he went.

"Ow. Don't pull out my hair." He pouted.

"I think it's time to end the party and for you to go to bed."

He grabbed the man's bare forearm and toted him to bed, wrapping him tightly in a blanket to keep him trapped. Then he kissed his forehead and went back to deal with the guests. The only ones sober and able to drive were Francis, Feliciano, and Kiku. Alfred had gotten into the alcohol with his father and they were having a nasty fight. Francis intervened and apologized before dragging them to the car by the ear. Feliciano was the next to leave after fetching his brother and Antonio. Kiku packed up his game system and then bowed a bit to Gupta before waking Heracles for the ride home.

Only Emil was left in the living room, looking rather awkward. Gupta glanced outside to see where his car was but there was none. He retreated to the living room again and went to the hall closet to find clean blankets. He deposited them on the arm chair and noticed Emil was just watching him.

"I assume you're staying?"

"Sadık said he would take me home but he's drunk, isn't he?"

"I'll call your parents for you." He smiled and went to the house phone. "You know their number?" He took the phone to put it in and then handed it back. "_Ahlan_? Are you Emil's father? Oh, brother. He's at his boss' home still. I'm afraid that we can't bring him back tonight. It's rather late but we don't mind keeping him over. We have plenty of room." He listened for a moment. "Okay. _Tiṣbaḥ 'ala kẖayr._" He held the phone out to Emil. "Here. You have permission to stay."

He left the teenager alone on the phone and started to pick up the party's mess. There was not too much mess thankfully. He had finished picking up the last of the trash when he recalled his pile of unopened gifts. It seemed the party-goers had been uninterested in Gupta in the end, preoccupied with each other. He did not mind that though, smiling at the plush creatures left for him. He picked up a box from Heracles and decided to unwrap it before bed.

"Um, Gupta? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, Emil." He smiled at the young man. "And you can sleep in that bedroom."

"Thanks… But I wanted to ask you about your condition. Did you get it from an ex-boyfriend?" He seemed worried.

"No." Gupta smiled. "I was born with it. Why do you ask?"

"I know someone else that has it." He responded, "But he got it from doing bad things. We're all scared for him. Especially my brother… But you seem like you're living happily."

"That's because I am happy." He replied. "Your friend can be happy too with the right people supporting him." He looked at the kitchen clock after hearing a crash from his bedroom. "You should get to bed and possibly lock the door." He patted Emil's shoulder and then left with his present from Heracles. "Sadık, what are you doing? That's the tub."

"The toilet seat was down." He replied, looking over his shoulder.

"You better scrub that and yourself before getting in this bed." He scolded, sitting on the bed and got a grunt of affirmation.

He giggled as his lover struggled to get undressed in his drunken stupor but made no move to help him. He looked to the gift as burning hot water started from the shower and ignored the resulting yelp. It was wrapped, oddly enough, and a card was stashed inside the wrapping paper. It was a cute Japanese card with a translation to the side of the kanji, handwritten. It read 'Get Well Soon, Mom' which confused the Egyptian until he saw a baby in the box-a baby doll. He rolled his eyes at the humor and opened the card, the contents now written in Greek.

Gupta groaned at having to translate so late but succeeded in finding the gist of the message. It was because the Greek knew his brother's love of children and desire for a family life. He lifted the porcelain doll from the box, marveling at its appearance and attire. It all looked handmade. The doll was very detailed and cute so he cuddled it, closing his eyes. The body was soft with stuffing.

"That looks like one of Ludwig's works." Sadık's voice in his ear startled him.

"Ludwig? Feliciano's Ludwig?" He held his breath to avoid the smell of alcohol.

"Yeah. He likes making bisque dolls but for quite a penny." He started nuzzling and groping. "Put it away though. I wanna play."

"I don't think I want to sleep with a drunken man." He put the doll aside regardless. "Find the condoms and I'll consider it though." He pecked his cheek and lay on his side.

"Damnit." He whined and a little crash sounded as he searched the room and eventually the house. "Ha! Found one, Gupta…?" The older man sighed and put the condom on the bedside table before lying beside the sleeping man.

"Good morning, Sadık." Gupta greeted the man from the kitchen, nibbling on toast with their overnight guest. "Hangover?"

"Big time. I'm sorry fer drinking so much. I'll make an amazing lunch to make up for it." He kissed him and then took his toast. "And I'll make you some more toast. Oh, hey Emil. What are you doing here?"

"You didn't give me a ride home last night." He pointed out with the roll of his eyes.

"Oh right. Yer guardian isn't gonna be mad, is he?"

"No. Gupta talked to him but…" He looked at a cell phone in his pocket a moment before it rang. "_Halló bróðir._" He flinched. "Don't yell at me for that. Berwald said he would call you." He paused again and stood up. "It's not my fault you're with that idiot in Denmark. You could have come with me."

He disappeared into the hallway and continued an argument in a foreign language, leaving the couple alone in the kitchen. They exchanged a look and then continued their breakfast. Gupta did the dishes, this time without meeting opposition since Sadık went off to look for pain killers. He heard a door open and expected the older man but it was their guest, his expression showing through for a change.

"So will your brother come to the Americas soon?" He watched Emil make his way to the coffee machine.

"Yeah. If his friend doesn't die before they get a ticket." His back was towards the Egyptian.

"Emil." Gupta went to his side. "He'll be fine. Don't worry about him and tell your brother not to worry either. Stress is a bad thing when you're ill. When people stress over me, I get stressed because I feel like a burden. Your brother's friend probably feels the same since he's keeping you brothers apart."

"It's his fault for getting worked up though…" He looked away then looked back. "I'll call my brother later… and talk to him."

"That's a good Sonny." Sadık's voice boomed, startling both younger males. "You like coffee a lot, right Emil?"

"Uh… Yeah. Everyone in my family does. Why?"

"Then go ahead and take those." He pointed to all the instant coffee. "I only use beans-it was Heracles that liked instant-and Gupta can't have caffeine."

"Huh? Why not?" Emil sipped his own cup.

"It's not healthy. I can't drink alcohol either." He pointed out and then looked at the clock. "Shouldn't you be at work, Sadık?"

"Nah, too hung over. Sonny can cover my shift." He wrapped his arms around his lover. "And I can take what I missed out on last night."

"There is a child present and you were drunk. That's not my fault." He tapped his nose. "You need to take Emil to work anyways and you've been away so you might as well just stay at work today. I have to be somewhere around ten."

He received no question and they got ready for work. Gupta kissed his lover and wished them luck then grabbed something from his room before leaving for his meeting.

* * *

Sheesh. Talk about a stress overload. First I graduate and have to move into a trailer and shit. Then I have to give my dogs to my uncle. That day we drop the dogs off, they run off so now my babies are gone… then the very same week my girlfriend gives up on our relationship. Really fucking sucks cause I dedicated my whole future and 3 years to her pretty much. So I throw myself back into the internet and fanfiction… and I probably won't have any reviews cause it's been so damn long. -sighs- I really wish there were more Turgypt fics to cheer me up. Granted, George came out with his Turgypt fic but it's not updating fast enough~ -whine- So I'm gonna try and finish this one up so I can start another one.

Also, _**theapricottree**_ is my bff. She and I are working on a Sealand-centric fic so if you're interested you should go watch her. No yaoi in it (except what I can sneak in there) cause she's not a yaoi fangirl. Now I'm gonna finish watching Tsuritama, sleep, and then start the next chapter.


End file.
